Asset Series 5: Realizations
by shadowglove
Summary: Sequel to Midas Touch. Dean's realizing that his relationship with Chloe is becoming less than innocent in nature. Lois' realizing that her relationship with Adam, and her memories, mightn't be what they seem to be. The Powers That Be are quickly realizing that they've lost control. And two separate meetings of Chloe and Lois with John's old hunting buddies can change everything.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

Sequel to: Midas Touch

A/N: Slowly continuing towards romance.

Chloe – 16

Dean – 23

Lois – 20

Adam – 24

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"Not that I don't understand _why_ she wants to, but I don't want Mrs. Ross to move and take Pete with her." Chloe sighed as she leaned with her head against Dean's chest in the dark of the living room as they watched Dr. Sexy M.D.

"I don't blame her for wanting to leave this place." Dean mumbled, arm around the girl's shoulders, his fingers instinctively caressing her soft hair as he watched Dr. Sexy do his thing. "This whole "Freak of the Week" thing was bad enough when it was just the _kids_ going all psycho, but Coach Arnold being a hotheaded pyro who was using his powers to terrorize and attack/punish the players? Jesus! That's just too much!"

"I still can't believe Pete nor Clark said anything about what they'd been going through." Chloe muttered darkly.

"To be honest I think they feel that they're suffering more now with that inept new coach of theirs." Dean snickered. "And anyway, the situation helped those two bond with Trevor, and after losing Sean to Goodnight he needed to make some new friends."

Phone buzzing, Chloe checked the message and chuckled at what she read before sending a long reply. When she was finished her phone was put away and she leaned against Dean once more.

"Who was that?" Dean asked, gaze going to the clock, wondering who in the world would be texting her this late.

"Lex." She replied with a shrug. "He's just checking in to see how we're doing."

"He's been in New York for the past two months, ever since his father died. So why is he still bothering you?" Dean grumbled, slouching harder into the sofa. "You'd think he'd be too busy running his damn empire or something."

"Lex isn't _pestering_ me, and he needs a friend during these times." Chloe rubbed Dean's rock-hard abs in a soothing way, seeming to feel how tense he'd gotten at the mention of 'Young Master Luthor'. "Plus, it's thanks to him that we live in this gorgeous penthouse apartment. The least I can do is be his penpal."

"I don't have to like it."

"No, you don't." She agreed, leaning up to press a kiss to his stubbly cheek when she once again must have instinctively realized that his tension was growing. "But this whole protective thing's adorable, so I don't mind you not liking it."

"Adorable." He scoffed, not appreciating the description in the least bit, but could already feel his tension decreasing as she pressed yet another kiss to his cheek.

It awed him sometimes, how just a touch or a soft kiss from this girl could calm him when he started getting tense or downright furious.

It disturbed him how well she was getting to know him that no matter how hard he tried he couldn't keep his gut reactions from her.

It terrified him how used he'd gotten to her touchy-feely-ness and came to no longer just tolerate it, but actively _expect_ it...anticipate it even.

On the screen, Dr. Sexy's sexy yet intrusive love interest moaned to her sexy yet arrogant best friend. "Why can't Dr. Fine just make a move on her already?"

"She's only interning and is under his supervision at that." The heart surgeon rolled her eyes. "It would just hurt his already sketchy reputation if he did. There's a reason he's called Dr. Fine-Ass and Dr. Homewrecker."

"But it's _different_ with Kara." The pediatrician gave a little whimper and stomped her foot for emphasis. "He doesn't act with her the way he's always acted in the past with his _many_ women. He watches out for her and sometimes just _stares_ at her when she isn't looking."

"I've noticed that." The heart surgeon smirked. "And ever since he moved into her place, renting the extra room available after her roommate died of that mysterious, rare, and incurable disease-they've become so married-couple-like."

"So you agree with me!" The pediatrician exclaimed, eyes glistening, long, thick fake eyelashes batting rapidly. "He's in love with her!"

"But he doesn't realize it yet so nothing is going to happen." The all too confident and sexy Native American rolled her eyes. "He realizes that he's got a great thing going with her, but he thinks that what he feels is carnal lust-a normal reaction when a man in his prime lives with a beautiful young woman-and he's never been in love before so he doesn't understand the difference. He's not going to risk losing her and all they share by making a move on her."

The pediatrician pouted her large, silicone-filled lips as she sighed. "How can someone who's _name_ is even "fine" be so emotionally _deficient_?" Her gaze went to where the doctor in question was walking next to Kara, the smile on his face turning to a dark scowl as they passed Greg, the lab technician who'd never kept his attraction for the statuesque blonde beauty a secret. "He sure is obvious though."

"Not to _her_ he isn't." And with that, the doctors each received a page and hurried away to tend to whatever drama would move the plot along for this episode.

Dean cleared his throat. "Considering how much these people gossip, it's surprising that they have time to actually save any lives."

Chloe chuckled softly, rubbing his abs lazily.

The hunter closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation deeply.

The housemates contined watching as Dr. Sexy not only singlehandedly performed an emergency C-section on a large woman (who hadn't even realized she was pregnant) with all he had on him while they were trapped in the elevator, but also made it back in time to teach his sexy yet lacking in female skills colleague how to impress women by learning the steps to the modern tango.

"I'd really like to put Walker Texas Ranger, MacGyver, and Dr. Sexy in a Hunger Games battle and see who would win." Chloe declared. "MacGyver can turn anything into a weapon, Walker's whole _body_ is a weapon...but ultimately Dr. Sexy would win."

"How do you figure that?" Dean asked curiously.

"Because with his dashing good looks and freaky-ass pheromones he'd unknowingly seduce them both and they'd kill each other over him." Chloe declared, quite amused and confident in this outcome, because if watching every season to date of Dr. Sexy M.D. had taught her anything it was that there wasn't a human alive (male or female) who could resist the doctor's sexiness. "I mean, _come on_, he's _already_ turned three straight guys already on this show, even though he still doesn't seem to realize it."

"For a super genius who can somehow easily handle being both a Gynecologist _and_ Cardiologist in a tremendously busy hospital-_and_ who does every other sort of medical procedure every couple of episodes-I can't get how he doesn't get Randy the X-Ray dude is constantly hitting on him." Dean mumbled.

"It's just that some guys are so into women they are blind to men."

He snorted in derision. "Please. That's ridiculous."

She shook her head in amusement. "You're the same way."

"_What_?" Dean's eyes widened in horror. "I don't have any guy constantly hitting on me!"

"Bud." Chloe responded pointblank.

Dean scoffed, shaking his head. "He's one of the manliest men in this whole damn _town_. He hunts! And he's invited me to go with him next season!"

"You have such a stereotyped view of homosexual men. Not _all _of them are flamboyant." The blonde rolled her eyes. "Bud is one of the manliest men in Kansas, and he also so happens to be gay. You shouldn't assume that one thing contradicts the other."

"Yes ma'am." Dean saluted, amused yet properly chastised. "You know, the more I'm getting to know you, the mouthier you get."

The young woman pulled away enough to eye him curiously, eyebrow raised. "Is that a complaint?"

He smirked. "Just thinking you're a completely different person from the scared mouse I first saw in that diner in Hope."

"Maybe. Or maybe you're finally seeing the real me." She countered with a smile before lowering her head and sighing, her hair falling into her face and shadowing it from him. "When I was younger and my mom was still with us she used to...purify me...you know? But I could handle it because afterwards she'd be really nice and be really loving. It would only last for a couple of days until the 'filth' had returned, but I remember being so _happy_ during those few days when she loved me."

Dean fought to keep his expression neutral, knowing how hard it was for her to tell him this.

"After she left...I was still such a kid...I kinda forgot for a while. I think that's what dad wanted, for me to forget and move on." She shrugged. "And then mom came back and...BOOM, Dr. Masters says that the event triggered my 'repressed memories' and that it was also that added trauma that screwed me up since she says that I never dealt with it."

Dean really didn't think much of Chloe's psychologist, but he could get how that could happen.

"Thing is, I think that even if I didn't actively remember, I subconsciously did, because I've always kept everyone at a distance. Even Lois. I can see how I was pushing her away little by little and how I never opened up to her and how I was in the wrong." The blonde gulped before continuing. "But I think I'm changing now, I'm-I'm starting to _want_ to open up and not be so guarded." She flashed him a smile. "And that's the me that you're seeing now...the me that's confident that I can be myself with you and be accepted."

Dean gulped back the surge of emotion at that, awkward and not knowing how to respond, annoyed at how unawares she was constantly catching him.

On the screen, the pediatrician and heart surgeon somehow found the time in their busy schedules to stalk Dr. Fine and Kara, the pediatrician sighing romantically as she watched the two smiling at each other. "_Awww_! How can he not get that he's in love with her?"

Dean coughed, his gaze sliding to the side before forcing himself to return to her face, annoyed with himself. "I look forward to getting to know you then."

Chloe grinned brightly at him.

Relieved that he'd somehow managed to say the right thing and not make an ass out of himself, Dean grinned and pulled her back towards him as onscreen, Dr. Sexy saved the hospital by deactivating a bomb left in the maternity room.

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**_I am quite surprised to read that that was your first venture into the literary world. "Hallowed Ground" was well written, well paced, and I actually cared whether the three main characters made it out alive—which is sadly something rare when it comes to most 'horror' genres I've been reading of late._**

Lois read the fan mail which had arrived for her "Hallowed Ground" story to the email account she'd placed in the "ABOUT THE AUTHOR" section. She'd never believed for one second that her vague collection of dreams would come together in a story that would end up on the Kindle Best Seller's list.

**_I know that the Lois character was both the main female character AND the Dean character's love interest, but I have to admit that I felt for the young Chloe character the most. I don't know if you fashioned her after someone you know who has suffered similar trauma, but having gone through a traumatic experience myself I felt that she was very well portrayed-as were her struggles. And added to that, I admit I enjoyed reading the interaction between Chloe and Dean. Maybe if she were a little older I'd be rooting for her and him..._**

Lois tilted her head to the side, surprised by that. She never would have imagined Dean and Chloe as ever having any sort of interest in each other in her dreams. Not only had the girl been way too young, but there'd been the attraction between Dream!Lois and the hunter (something she'd never really shared with Adam when telling him about the dreams). So it was interesting to hear someone who thought that Chloe and Dean had potential.

Not that they were real or anything.

Lois shook her head, having to remind herself over and over again that these were characters created by her subconscious and not living, breathing people. Sometimes she forgot that little detail. It worried her a little because what did that say about her sanity?

**_On a different note, I enjoyed the fact that you used the very real and very mysterious fiery destruction of Hope and gave us a fantastical (yet extremely entertaining) explanation for how that town was razed to the ground, and why._**

The brunette frowned.

There'd been a real town called Hope that had been destroyed by a mysterious fire?

Seriously?

"So, I was thinking, maybe we should go away somewhere this weekend." Adam entered the room, tugging on his pants as he did so. "We haven't really spent time together in a while."

Lois looked up at him." Did you know that there was actually a real town named Hope that was mysteriously burnt to the ground?"

"Seriously? Go figure." Adam slung on a shirt. "See? I told you there had to be a rational explanation for your intensely detailed dreams. Obviously you saw the news coverage somewhere and your subconscious took the information and ran with it."

"You think?" She frowned, turning her gaze towards the email she'd received.

"Of course." He reached over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "So, now that that mystery is solved, where would you like to go?"

The brunette thought it over, shrugging. "Where do _you_ want to go?"

He grinned. "I was thinking: Las Vegas."

"Las Vegas." Lois took in a deep breath, forcing a smile on her face. "You in a gambling mood? Hiding an inheritance from me?"

He laughed, throwing himself on the bed next to her. "Leave everything in my hands, okay?"

"Mysterious." Lois laughed, shaking her head, trying to feel the excitement she should. "Las Vegas, huh?"

"Las Vegas." Adam echoed with a cheeky grin. "Money, alcohol, exotic dancers..."

"Why do I feel the exotic dancers are the highlight of that list?" Lois asked with wry smile as Adam grabbed the remote and turned on the television in time for her to see that they'd finished showing the previous episode of Dr. Sexy M.D. and were in the middle of the new one. "I almost missed it!"

Adam chuckled, settling himself onto the bed as Dr. Sexy strode into Seattle Mercy Hospital, his cowboy boots making a soft tapping noise against the tiles as he flipped his silky, chin-length dark hair. "I wonder who he's gonna turn gay _this_ episode."

"Please, they can't keep turning guys gay-there won't be anyone left for the nurses to cheat with or _on_." Lois rolled her eyes, turning her attention to the screen.

The sexy, yet prejudiced Head Nurse spoke to one of the other nurses, eyeing one of their colleagues, who'd recently been in a very tragic (and rating's raising) accident. "I don't care if they think it's better not to fill her head with too many details, but I think that it's _cruel_ not to fill her in on the fact that she's actually _not_ really with Dr. Hotstuff like she thinks thanks to the brain injury she received."

"It's for the best." The other nurse, not half as sexy and definitely just a minor character who would never be seen again on the show, assured her with some spectacularly cardboard acting. "Dr. Fine told us that her mind can't take it right now. Anyway, I don't see what's wrong. I mean, she's happy, and he _is_ hot. A girl can do worse."

"Dr. Fine might be a good man, but I don't trust a man who hangs around with the crowd he does, the _lower class_ citizens." The Head Nurse turned up her nose. "It's _wrong_ letting that poor woman live a lie just because she had that accident and her mind's fuzzy. She doesn't even _remember_ her best friend!"

"Some best friend, she hasn't even really come to see her or help her remember." The nurse declared. "If you ask me, that sort of friend isn't worth it."

"That's being unfair." The woman scoffed. "She _did_ come back to apologize to Dr. Lannister, but then Dr. Lannister went off on her saying how she didn't know her and how she should leave, and Cory just took it as her saying that because of their fight that Dr. Lannister was saying that. She thought Dr. Lannister was rejecting her. It's _wrong_ that they let that friendship dissolve like that!"

The nurse frowned, badly, gaze going to where Dr. Lannister and Dr. Baron (or Hotstuff) were talking, the tension obviously there between them, and not the sexy kind. "It's all for the best."

"Says _who_?" The Head Nurse wanted to know before turning and walking away.

Lois frowned as the scene changed to Dr. Sexy and his sexy yet _annoying_ love interest. "If I ever lost my memory and you knew that I had, you'd tell me, right?"

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Depends. Have we fought and I've been kicked to the sofa?"

Rolling her eyes, the brunette grabbed a cushion, slapping him over the head with it. "I'm being serious! Let's say I'm Dr. Lannister and you're Dr. Baron. And we're both in the exact same situation as they are. What do you do?"

Adam frowned as his gaze finally tore from the television to her face, thinking silently. "Hmmmm. Good question."

"You shouldn't have to _think_." She narrowed her eyes at him in disbelief. "You should tell me, without hesitation, that you would tell me the truth no matter what."

He looked at her and quickly spoke without hesitation. "I'd tell you the truth no matter what."

She was not amused. "I'm being serious."

"I _know_." Adam sighed, scratching the back of his head as he sat up and returned his gaze to the television screen. "But I find it hard to take it seriously when you're putting us in the middle of one of the most ridiculously dramatic shows ever created. I mean, things like that don't actually happen in reality."

Letting out a disappointed breath, Lois' dark hazels returned to the screen as well.

The duo watched the rest of the exaggeratedly dramatic show in utter silence.

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**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

Sequel to: Midas Touch

Chloe – 16

Dean – 23

Lois – 20

Adam – 24

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Dean had to admit that while he was glad that Coach Arnold wasn't terrorizing the boys anymore, he felt a little bad for the players now that the older man was gone. The hunter hadn't been joking or being mean when he'd said that the new coach was inept. The man tried to cover with it with his enthusiasm and moral support for the team's every blunder. His cheeriness just seemed to be rubbing the boys wrong (and they were starting to lose games now, their position as champions steadily slipping) and Dean wondered just how much longer the man could call that job his own.

The hunter (who liked to think he was taking an awesome vacation) usually didn't have time to watch the boys running their drills, but Chloe was having a meeting with the other kids she bossed around in the Torch, so he'd decided to watch Clark, Pete and Trevor during practice. He'd heard them mumbling more than once during their visits to the house, and he was really beginning to see why. Even the cheerleaders who were practicing close by were frowning with worry as they watched the players with their overly enthusiastic coach.

Dean wished that he could be _half_ as enthusiastic about his own job as this cheery man. The hunter hadn't liked the thought of living off his young hostess and had gone out and actually gotten himself a job at a local garage. Considering how much he enjoyed tinkering with the 'Pala he'd figured that it would be a job he was not only good at, but would enjoy. He'd been wrong. Not the part where he was good at it, because he was, but seeing the condition most of those poor cars came in-it was giving him an ulcer. It was all he could do from taking their owners aside and giving them a harsh talking to.

"That's okay! It's okay! Don't be down about dropping the ball!" The coach yelled out, cupping his hands to his mouth. "What matters is that you tried! That gives you an A for effort!"

Dean palmed his face.

The Smallville Crows were _doomed_.

"What's wrong?" The coach asked in confusion as his disgruntled players began to pile out of the field. "Oh, you wanna all take a break? That's okay! You've all tried _very_ hard! You deserve a break!"

The players looked less than pleased.

Dean looked up as Clark, Pete and Trevor made a beeline towards him, their faces displaying their discontent. "That was, uh, um…" the hunter shook his head and shrugged. "You guys sucked."

"We know." Pete complained, plopping down next to him on the bleachers. "We have _never_ been this bad!"

"I kinda _miss_ Coach Arnold right about now." Trevor agreed with a groan as he sat down on the row in front of Dean's. "Explosive fire tantrums and all."

"I don't." Clark clarified, sitting on Dean's other side, sighing as he leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees. "That guy locked me in that sauna with whatever was making me sick when I confronted him half-time about how he was treating us. If Dean hadn't been around during the game and heard me breaking the window, and got me out of the sauna...I don't even want to think what would have happened." He sent Dean a little nod.

Dean nodded back.

"I agree, the guy was a psycho! Believe me, I _know_." Trevor quickly agreed with that, pulling up his sleeve to display the angry handprint burnt into his skin, proving he hadn't escaped the harsh treatment either. "But I miss _real_ coaching. This guy's nice, but he's no coach. He doesn't even know our drills! Or a drill. Period."

"Exactly. No way is he really a coach." Pete agreed, running his hand in the back of his head. "I just think they found some motivational speaker, told him he was a coach, and just stuck us with him."

"If Coach Arnold wasn't, uh, _dead_, I'd hope he'd be rehabilitated and returned to us." Trevor grumbled. "I heard he used to be an excellent coach before he got all...fiery."

"No way in hell man." Dean was quick to cut down that very _thought_. "If you all feel that being abused by him and his powers was worth it if you won the games then that is _your_ issue, but that asshole nearly burnt Chloe to death. If he hadn't ended up burning _himself_ up, I would have iced him for that."

The boys were silent at that harsh declaration.

"Dude," Pete reached out and slugged him with a dark little chortle. "If mom ends up taking me with her to Wichita like she's been threatening these last couple of months, I will leave secure in the knowledge that Chloe is going to be _well_ taken care of by you. Only an _idiot_ would dare mess with your girl."

"Seriously." Trevor mumbled, although his lips were twitching in amusement.

Clark, on the other hand, had to sigh. "Normally I'd say that there is _never_ an excuse for killing someone-but if he'd done that to _Lana_ I would have lost it too and I couldn't say that I wouldn't have gone after him...so I can reluctantly get where you're coming from."

Almost as if having known he was talking about her, Lana looked up from where she was going through another routine with the cheerleaders, blowing a quick kiss up to her boyfriend.

Clark smiled besottedly at her, going through the motions of catching the kiss and bringing it to his lips.

Dean snorted in amusement. "Jesus, you're so _whipped_."

"Look who's talking!" Pete barked out in laughter.

"The hell?" Dean turned towards him in confusion.

"Please, _some_ people might think it's weird cuz you're _old_, but you don't have to pretend around _us_ man." Trevor reached out and patted Dean's knee. "We got your back. And we approve."

"Yeah." Clark nodded in agreement, grinning brightly. "We definitely approve."

"What the hell are you three talking about?" The hunter looked at them in confusion.

The three teenagers rolled their eyes and snickered amongst themselves.

Dean opened his mouth to tell them they better clarify exactly what people were thinking he was too old for.

"Hey guys!" Chloe called, coming up the bleachers, a bounce in her step as she finally made it to where they were. "How was practice?"

The three footballers gave her ugly looks.

She laughed at their misfortune before turning to Dean. "Sorry about making you wait, but I had to tell off a couple of the newer people. They were making _such_ sloppy mistakes! I mean, if they think that text-spelling was going to cut it for their articles they have another thing coming!"

Dean smiled crookedly at how passionate she was about the damn school newspaper.

Pete, Trevor and Clark snickered amongst themselves.

He ignored them, standing. "So we can go home now?"

"Yep." The blonde nodded, giving a little wave to the others. "Try behave you guys!" And with that she grabbed Dean's arm and dragged him after her until they were on the steps, heading down the bleachers, and there she looped her arm around his. "So, I was thinking that we could just make something quick and simple tonight. Like pizza. I have all the ingredients at home and they can be thrown together quickly."

Dean stepped off the bleachers first and helped her down, raising an eyebrow in intrigue, not noticing the highly attractive brunette behind him fixing her outfit and hair quickly before heading in their direction. "You sure you just don't want to order pizza? Would be quicker and we could relax and wait for it. You wouldn't have to do anything."

Chloe's gaze darted behind him, annoyance flashing in her greens before she turned to him and bit her bottom lip as she un-looped her arm from his and instead played with the lapels of his brown leather jacket, much closer to him than before, forcing him to look straight downwards to gaze down into her face. "I don't mind."

It always fascinated him how the girl who had such a violent need for personal space was constantly invading his own...and he didn't mind it in the least bit.

On instinct he brought his hands up to her arms and rubbed them.

She smiled up at him.

Suddenly someone was there, clearing her throat.

Annoyance flashed through Chloe's greens once more as she tightened her hold on Dean's jacket, turning towards the beautiful brunette. "Yes ma'am?"

Dean recognized the woman, having seen her the last couple of times he'd come to watch the games. She'd apparently taken over from the last cheerleader coach, who _definitely_ hadn't been this young, attractive, or feminine.

"I've been trying to introduce myself to the students' guardians and parents since I'm new here." The brunette smiled temptingly at him, her breasts propped up and very much on display as she reached out her perfectly manicured hand between him and Chloe. "I'm Desiree Atkins. I teach biology and also coach the cheerleaders."

Dean took a moment to really look at this woman.

Desiree Atkins was gorgeous in a nymphomaniac way. Everything about her screamed promises of sex men rarely found outside hardcore porn. Her eyes also betrayed the fact that she was more than willing to fulfill each and every one of Dean's deepest, darkest sexual fantasies.

In short, this was the woman that once upon a time would have been Dean's perfect woman.

She smiled up temptingly at him. "I didn't think I'd have to go to so much trouble to finally meet you."

On reflex, so used to this, Dean grinned back his trademark panty dropping smirk. "Well, if I had known you were looking to meet I would have introduced myself sooner."

Chloe's grip on his' jacket loosened to the point where her hands dropped to her sides, her head lowering as she made to move away from him.

Dean didn't want that, and it was a matter of instinct when his grip on her arms tightened, keeping the girl fixed to him before letting go long enough to slide an anchoring arm around her shoulders, drawing her to him, turning them to face the woman.

Chloe tensed against his hold before melting, resting her head against him, her voice smugly pleased. "Ms. Atkins, this is Dean Winchester. We live together."

Something strange passed over the older woman's features, it was almost like a mixture of confusion and annoyance, before the seductive smile was back and her gaze solely on him. "I'd like to get together to, uh, _talk_ about Chloe."

Dean nodded. "We're home most evenings so you can schedule something with Chloe."

The woman's smile slipped in near outrage before she was all seduction once more. "I was thinking of something a little more..._private_."

Chloe went stiff.

Dean caressed her arm with his thumb without even realizing what he was doing until she started relaxing once more. It startled him how in tune he was getting with the blonde and how to affect her like this. "We have a library at home. We can talk there."

Desiree Atkins looked utterly flummoxed. "Uh, um, okay."

"It was nice meeting you." Dean gave Chloe a little squeeze as he turned them around and started walking towards the parking lot.

"See you tomorrow Ms. Atkins!" Chloe called cheerfully, giving a little wave before slipping an arm around Dean's waist and grinning brightly up at him. "I thought you were going to fall into her clutches like everyone else."

"Fall into her clutches?" Dean asked in amusement, staring down at her beaming face.

"It's like she has some sort of _pheromone_ or something that men find irresistible." Chloe responded, making up her face in distaste. "I walked into her and Principal Kwan...on his desk..." the blonde gave a little shiver of distaste. "And then the next day I walked in on her with his _son _in the janitor's closet."

"What were you doing in the janitor's closet?" Dean wanted to know.

Her eyes widened. "I just told you that I caught that woman with both father _and_ son within a 24 hour radius-and all you react to in confusion is what I was doing in the janitor's closet?"

He smirked, enjoying her obvious shock. "What _were_ you doing in the janitor's closet?"

She made up her face at him, lips pursed, amusement clear in her eyes as she shook her head up at him. "I _might_ have some contraband hidden in there."

"Contraband." Dean raised an eyebrow. "Should I be expecting a call from Principal Kwan about you any time soon?"

"After I caught him with Ms. Atkins?" Chloe snorted derisively. "I _doubt_ he's going to do anything to provoke me into writing an editorial about the morale of the school's authorities."

"It'd be a case of he said she said if you did that." Dean warned her, eyes narrowed in concern. "He could have you expelled for defamation of character without reasonable evidence and-."

"Oh my god, you've been helping Sam study for his exams during your skyping sessions!" Chloe exclaimed in shocked glee, pointing a finger accusingly at him. "You're learning the legal terminology!"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Damn. Guilty as charged."

"And anyway, it _wouldn't_ be a case of he said she said." The blonde fished for her phone and pressed a couple of buttons before showing him a very clear picture of Ms. Atkins straddling Principal Kwan on his desk, her skirt bunched around her hips and his hands on her ass. "They were going at it so hot and heavy they didn't realize I was there for a _while_ despite the fact that I was _called_ into the office." Chloe continued to shuffle through more and more pictures she'd taken. "I also got a couple of video files of it I'm keeping...for insurance in case I ever need something for the Torch and he gets cheap."

Dean just stared down at the girl, lips parted in a halfway smile. "That's blackmail."

"_Potential_ blackmail." She corrected chirpily. "I haven't actually used any of this yet. And I might never...but _just in case_..."

He laughed, squeezing her once more as they drew closer to the 'Pala. "Remind me _never_ to piss you off."

"Nah, I have other ways to punish _you_." She assured him with a wicked little wink, pulling away from the hunter as she went to her door.

Dean just watched her for a second before clearing his throat and going to the driver's side.

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"Why would you want to change your major?" Adam asked in surprise as they had dinner at their favorite little restaurant later that night. They went there almost every day considering it was cheap and neither of them could cook to save their lives.

"I don't want to change my major." Lois Lake corrected as she twirled her fork in the spaghetti. "I still am aiming for my Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies, but I also want to try for a BA in Creative Writing, specifically Fiction Writing."

"_Why_?" Adam just seemed perplexed as he tilted his head to the side. "You've never shown any interest in writing before other than your Dr. Sexy M.D. fanfiction, but you've always said that was just to pass the time. Why all of a sudden would you-?"

"I just _do_." It annoyed her somewhat that he didn't support her in this, but given the fact that she hadn't told him about "Hallowed Ground" she really couldn't blame him for his surprise, could she? "I think it'll be fun, and it's something I want to do."

Adam just kept an eyebrow raised before shaking his head, returning his gaze to his food as he speared it with his fork. "I just wish you would have talked to me about this before making the decision all on your own."

"Why would I need to talk to you about something I was planning on doing that wouldn't affect you in any way?" The brunette wanted to know, tightening her grip on her utensil, dark hazels narrowing on him.

"Because we're a _couple_." Adam replied, his blue eyes raising to meet hers. "And couples talk about things, they make plans together, and they share _everything_."

"I think just because we're a couple doesn't mean we're not allowed some independence." Lois tried to keep her tone neutral, not in the mood for another fight. They were having far too many arguments lately and it bothered her because in all the years that they'd known each other they'd never fought this way before. And yet things were getting horribly tense between them now.

Adam felt she was trying to exclude him.

Lois felt trapped, and knew that it was beginning to show.

She didn't want to hurt him, she _didn't_, but she was beginning to feel less and less inclined to go out of her way to make sure he was happy.

Sometimes-sometimes Lois felt like the person she remembered herself being growing up in the orphanage with Adam-and the person she was now-were two completely different people.

Shaking her head, Lois looked down at her phone when it registered an incoming mail, the brunette ignoring Adam's grumble as she checked it, realizing that it was a review from the fanfiction site. A smile tilted her lips as she realized it was from one of her favorite reviewers, a girl who called herself **_Torchery_**.

**_Sorry for the late review, I've been really busy with school and home life and haven't been able to review immediately after reading like I usually do, but now it seems that I was worrying and stressing in vain. So not cool...then again I'm glad that things didn't go down like I thought they would-and I've probably just confused you with that whole vagueness. Sorry._**

**_Anyway, back to the review: I LOVED this chapter! I always love how you seem to connect with Dr. Lannister and her feelings of isolation and confusion and unhappiness despite supposedly being in the perfect relationship. You are incredibly good at writing her ignorance of the truth of what's happening, and yet showing how somehow, deep down inside, she realizes that something is wrong and she's missing an important part of her life-Cory._**

**_And Dr. Fine and Kara! I know that they are very minor characters in this story, but I love them too...let's just say I have a soft spot for them since they, well, never mind. _**

**_So, all in all, great chapter and I can't wait to read more from you. I don't mean this creepily at all, so please don't take it the wrong way, but for some reason every time I see one of your fics updated it makes me feel happy and a little less lonely. So thank you. It means a lot._**

Lois smiled softly at the review.

Adam complained to himself, still obviously huffy and annoyed with her.

The girl ignored him.

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**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural (Or Swamp People)**

Sequel to: Midas Touch

Chloe – 16

Dean – 23

Lois – 20

Adam – 24

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Dean watched her out in the balcony, the French doors closed between them making her words inaudible. He chewed his piece of pizza with little interest, wondering why he'd never thought to learn how to read lips. Not that he really needed to do so to read her body language as she spoke to Wade Mahaney, the guy having called her out of the blue and disrupting their good time.

Chloe grinned, a soft blush on her cheeks as she pulled a strand of blonde hair out of her face. She leaned against the railing, completely entranced with whatever he was saying, and her laughter was genuine and somewhat cheeky. There was definite flirtation in the way she held her body, the flash in her eyes, and in the tilt of her lips.

Dean threw the rest of his pizza on the plate and pushed it away, suddenly not hungry anymore.

The hunter didn't like the criminal with the tattoos. It wasn't that he thought Wade was a bad person per se, but he didn't like the idea of him still having contact with Chloe. Not now that he knew that not only was there some attraction between them, but that they'd nearly had sex. It made him uneasy.

It wasn't just Wade either. Chloe's communications with Lex Luthor made Dean hella uncomfortable and annoyed. He didn't see why either guy had to keep butting in and refused to disappear despite the fact that they were in different cities leading different lives.

Maybe it was none of Dean's business, but he couldn't help but feel it was very much so.

On the other side of the glass Chloe blushed darker, lowering her gaze and curling a blonde strand around her finger.

Dean clenched his jaw, leaning hard against the sofa as his light hazels fixed on her.

Chloe's gaze rose to meet his through the glass, and shock filtered through her features as she stared at him, before slowly her lips curled in a surprised yet pleased expression.

Dean cleared his throat and tried to get more comfortable in his seat.

The French doors opened and closed, Chloe slipping in as she put down her phone and headed towards the couch slowly, her hips swaying with every movement.

The hunter kept his gaze firmly on the television show he wasn't watching. "What? Wade finally remembered this is a school night and he shouldn't be bothering you this late?"

"It's not late." Chloe's voice was soft and amused and a little deeper as she hesitated a second before moving between him and the television, hands on her hips. "I know you don't really like Wade, but he's a nice guy. You'd realize that if you gave him a chance."

"You're friendly enough for the both of us." Dean recognized the resentment in his voice and nearly flinched at how thick it was as he slouched into the sofa.

"_Awww_." Chloe's voice was soft as she bent on her knees in front of him, resting her forearms on his thighs as she leaned forwards into him, smiling up into his face.

"Awww _what_?" He raised an eyebrow at her, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she was basically between his thighs and pressing closer to parts of him than she should.

"You're _jealous_." Chloe grinned up into his face, seeming quite happy with this revelation.

"I'm not jealous." Dean denied quickly and vehemently. "I do _not_ do jealousy."

"You do. And you _are_." She countered with quite the assurance as she leaned even closer, forcing the hunter to lean harder back against the sofa as she did so. "Every time I talk to Lex or Wade you get jealous and resentful. You also get possessive." She nibbled her bottom lip before smiling a little crookedly. "Admit it Dean, you don't like the idea of sharing me."

Dean cleared his throat, sitting up straighter. "You're one to talk about getting jealous and possessive." He snorted, turning his light hazels on her, trying to pull off dark amusement and not the urgent restlessness he felt. "What about today with your hot teacher? The second she came close you grabbed hold of me and your body language basically told her to back off." He smirked, waiting for her to feel just as awkward and uncomfortable and out of her depth as he did. "_You_ don't like the idea of sharing _me_..._especially_ not with another woman."

"Another woman..." Chloe seemed to pause over that for a second before tilting her head to the side as she stared up into his face curiously. "Why would I like the idea of sharing you with...another _woman_? Especially now that I'm so used to having you all to myself?"

"So I was right." Dean grinned, before freezing as he suddenly realized what she'd said, his voice squeaking as his eyes widened on her. "_I was right_?"

"Of course." The blonde girl laughed as she shook her head and pushed up to her feet, bending over once more to press a kiss to his cheek yet it was much closer to his lips than her usual signs of affection. "I gave you the chance to run away...you didn't." She pressed another, slower kiss closer to his jaw line before speaking, her lips brushing against his skin as she whispered. "In my book that makes you _mine_ now."

Dean gulped, the room suddenly burning hot.

Chloe pulled away, all smiles and innocence once more as she threw herself onto the loveseat next to the sofa, plopping her feet onto the coffee table as she stole the remote from his armrest, checking through the guide to see what was on.

Dean found himself unable to look away from her.

Chloe made a face as she eyed the guide. "I will _not_ watch that with you again. There's only so much of these pawn shows a girl can take." Her eyes then widened as she gave a little squeak. "Swamp People's on! I can't believe I forgot about it!"

Dean's gaze went to the television, where the alligator hunting show played, one of the participants talking about his experiences hunting alligators in the bayou as a child with his dad. "For a girl who cries every time Bambi's mom get's shot, you sure like this show."

"That's _Bambi_." She rolled her eyes at him. "These are _alligators_. Bambi's mom can't kill or seriously maim you. These guys though? _Come on_." The blonde put up the volume as she threw the remote back to him (which he caught in midair) and went to grab another slice of pizza before returning to sit on the loveseat.

Dean opened his mouth to remind her that hunting was hunting, period, but his cellular rang and he picked it up from the side table, bringing it to his ear. "Yeah?"

"Don't you dare tell Sam."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Jess?"

Chloe sent a look in his direction at the girl's name. "She okay?"

"Chloe wants to know if you're okay." Dean passed on the message.

"Let her know I'm fine." Jess said and waited for him to relay the message to Chloe before speaking once more. "But back to the reason why I called you. Don't you dare tell Sam...but I met your dad."

"_What_?" Dean sat up straighter at that. "What the hell was dad doing there?"

"John was in Stanford?" Chloe turned off the television in seconds.

"Jess, I'm going to put you on speakerphone so Chloe can hear otherwise she's going to make me repeat everything you say and I am _not_ going to do that." Dean switched it onto speakerphone, placing the phone on the coffee table between them. "Okay, you're on speakerphone."

"Hey Chlo." Jess greeted. "You're right by the way, John's _seriously_ intimidating."

"What was dad doing in Stanford and why don't you want Sammy knowing?" Dean frowned as he leaned further towards the table.

"He said he checks up on you guys sometimes, and he preferred it if you two didn't know." Jess mumbled. "It looked like he's been observing you when you don't know he's around so he can get a good idea of how you act in your 'civilian life' and stuff."

"He's been in Smallville?" Chloe pulled a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"How I understood it, he was going to go there next, but not directly. Said he had a couple of hunts to check out before. I think he knew I'd at least cave and tell _you guys_ about meeting him, and he didn't want you expecting him." Jess replied. "I wouldn't have even known about him being in Stanford if I hadn't returned to our apartment unexpectedly and found him there! I was so scared I thought he was someone stealing from us! I nearly called the police on him!"

"He was _inside_ your apartment?" Chloe leaned forwards, her face visibly disturbed by this.

"Yeah." Jess sighed. "I'm looking into getting some sort of security alarm installed in this place. I don't think John would hurt us, but the fact that he was able to get in so easily-it has me paranoid."

"I can imagine." Chloe gulped, gaze going towards the front door.

Dean caught her gaze. "Chlo, there's no way anyone can get in here. Not even my father."

She stood, rubbing her arms as she went towards the French doors, staring out through the glass.

He frowned as he watched her before sighing and returning his attention to the phone. "My father's intense, but he's a good guy. And the fact that he's actually checking up on Sammy is a good thing. It proves that no matter _what_ he says, he cares."

"True..." Jess mumbled.

Chloe's phone beeped and she went towards it, frowning as she pressed some buttons, before suddenly paling as her eyes widened. The blonde looked up at Dean before rushing towards her room.

Dean frowned darkly. "Jess, tell Sam about dad being there, he should know. Anyway, I've got to go, something's up with Chloe."

"Is she okay?" Jess asked worriedly.

"I don't know. I'm going to go check on her."

"Sure, sure, and if there's anything wrong call me back and let me know." Jess hung up.

Dean left the phone where it was and strode towards Chloe's bedroom door, hearing the television on inside the room.

Frowning in confusion, the hunter opened the door and slipped in, watching the television in the room on the news channel. Chloe sat on the floor in front of it, pale, seeming to have collapsed there, her wide green gaze on the news footage.

"What is it?" Dean frowned, closing the door behind him as he stepped further inside of the room. "Who just messaged you?"

She didn't answer, just stared in front of her at the video of a man walking out of some building or the other, a twisted smile on his face, not seeming at all to mind the paparazzi taking millions of pictures of him, or the angry mob screaming on each side of his police escort towards an awaiting court.

Dean didn't know who the guy was, but he looked vaguely familiar somehow. "Who is that?"

"Viktor Dalakis." The girl's lips parted, seeming so lost as she finally turned her head so she could look up at the hunter. "My father."

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"Today, the story broke that rocked the nation." The female news anchor announced, expression grim as she relayed this information. "Due to new evidence that has arisen, Viktor Dalakis, convicted on more than sixteen counts of kidnapping, rape and torture, has been released from his imprisonment in the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane in Gotham this morning. This new evidence, while being under wraps by officials at the moment, seems to indicate that Viktor Dalakis did _not_ commit the crimes that he has been imprisoned for."

Lois leaned forwards, chewing on a carrot stick as she wrapped up in a sheet, unable to believe her eyes as she stared at the man sending a smirk to the closest camera on him before ducking into the awaiting car that drove him away.

How in the world could this have happened?

Lois knew about this case, a friend of hers who was studying criminal psychology was basically _obsessed_ with the Viktor Dalakis case and thus the brunette knew all about the psycho and his rampage. He'd done a horrible number on the women he'd abducted and hurt, most if not all of them had been too terrified to ever accuse him, even when he was caught it was only DNA evidence and the detectives connecting the circumstances and similarities in each case that'd helped them convict him for the multiple crimes against women he'd committed.

"The only one of his supposed victims who came out and testified against him at his trials, Moria Sullivan, was an integral part of his conviction." A picture of a young, beautiful yet obviously traumatized woman with black hair and blue eyes appeared on the television.

Lois froze, her eyes widening in horror.

She recognized this woman!

It was an older version of the Moira Sullivan-Chloe's _mother_-from her dreams!

The brunette breathed in and out, trying to tell herself not to freak out, that her friend must have shown her this picture and told her about the woman. That was why she'd appeared in her dreams! That had to be it!

"But the defense has used Sullivan's later conviction and internship into an undisclosed mental asylum for the criminally insane, and her consequent escape and attempted murder of her own child, to prove that the attack she received left her unhinged." The news anchor continued speaking. "They criticize the prosecution's use of her as a major witness in the case against Dalakis given her obvious mental instability."

Lois brought her hands to her head, a headache blooming terribly at her temples as she continued to stare at the television, ignoring the voice in her head telling her to turn it off and forget all she'd just found out.

The brunette forced herself to continue watching.

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Castiel sighed, leaning back from the brunette, realizing that she was fighting his whispers into her mind. She kept her hands on her hurting head and stared in front of her at the television screen as more and more of what she shouldn't know was presented before her.

The invisible angel sighed and reached out his hand towards the television, causing the thing to malfunction and go blank.

Lois Lane whimpered, lying down sideways on the sofa, her head close to his lap as she held on tightly, the pain of fighting the memories of Lois Lake they'd transplanted into her consciousness making her cry.

She shouldn't have the moments of clarity that she did, and she definitely shouldn't be having her subconscious memories asserting themselves as dreams.

Just like her cousin, she was fighting them and their influences, unlike anyone had.

It fascinated Castiel to no small degree.

The angel gazed down at the girl curled up next to him, crying in agony.

He didn't understand why he did it, but the angel reached out and placed his hand on her head, taking away her pain, easing her into a peaceful sleep.

Beneath his touch the brunette's body immediately lost its horrible tension as her eyes fluttered closed as she drifted into blissful sleep from which she'd wake up happy and rested.

Castiel tilted his head to the side as he gazed down at this human girl.

Movement in the doorways betrayed Adam's presence as the man leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. "She's remembering."

"Obviously." Castiel responded, eyeing the agent with a nod.

"How is this even _possible_?" Adam wanted to know, pushing away from the wall, agitation in his every muscle. "She's had her memories of her previous life replaced with those of the fictitious Lois Lake. There shouldn't be anything there to remember."

Castiel didn't answer because that was obvious.

"Are the people upstairs losing their touch or something?" Adam grumbled, obviously close to his limit. "First Lois keeps getting harder and harder to handle, and then Chloe cracks the matchmaking soulmate symbols on her heart? How are two human girls overriding heaven's work?"

That was something Castiel wanted to know as well.

If Father really wanted this battle to happen, it should be impossible to go against His will, especially if the ones doing so were humans who didn't even realize what they were doing.

It was fascinating...yet also worrisome...and made him start asking questions he really didn't want to.

Maybe...maybe it was time to ask Father himself directly instead of relying on his higher ups to relay Father's will to him.

With this, Castiel sighed as he teleported away back to heaven.

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**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

Sequel to: Midas Touch

Chloe – 16

Dean – 23

Lois – 20

Adam – 24

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He couldn't speak to Father, the higher ups were making it near impossible to see Him, so in lieu of that Castiel visited the other girl giving heaven trouble. These two girls were fascinating to him unlike other humans before, although he had to admit that the Winchester brothers had always been fascinating to him as well due to their True Vessels status...and was it a coincidence that the girls were connected to them as well?

Chloe Sullivan lay in bed, crying softly, obviously trying not to disturb Dean Winchester, whom she didn't realize was leaning outside her bedroom door staring at the ceiling in utter impotence.

Castiel found their connection utterly flummoxing.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Then again, the Asset had never been anyone other than the Vessels' mother before.

It was all very simple actually.

The Asset would give birth to the True Vessels and would die at the hands of her firstborn, the Michael's Sword. She'd understand her position, her purpose, and so would the Michael's Sword.

For the apocalypse to begin the Michael's Sword had to draw the Asset's blood at the appointed time in the appointed location...and then the Michael's Sword and Lucifer's Blade would offer themselves to the heavenly brothers so the battle could finally take place. Family ties would make it hard for all to accept at first, but the Asset and her children would understand that for heaven to win the battle with hell, and for the whole world to be in the idyllic peace they'd always meant to live in, that sacrifices would have to be made.

And yet...that wasn't how this was happening.

Chloe Sullivan shouldn't have been born anyway, it was far too soon after the last Asset's death, but hell had been impatient and had made circumstances so that two mortals who _could_ conceive an Asset did...or that was what heaven was assuming...because they hadn't even been aware that two such mortals existed at the time. It made the angel wary that hell could know such important details when heaven didn't...even if hell was denying any responsibility in the birth of the Asset.

And now Dean Winchester had made himself unfit to be the Michael's Sword. Somehow, his feelings for the Asset had grown to the point where heaven couldn't project a circumstance in which Dean would shed her blood. And apparently it wasn't only his feelings that had grown, because their Plan B by matching the Asset with the mortal man who could help her conceive a spare Michael's Sword...well...it wasn't going the way they'd envisioned it _either_.

It should have happened already.

She should have laid with the one who bore matching symbols to hers and conceived the spare Michael's Sword...and yet the Asset didn't seem much interested in following the path set in front of her.

Castiel's superiors were growing increasingly annoyed, confused, and wary.

Castiel himself couldn't help but be fascinated.

The angel, invisible to human eyes, went towards the blonde and sat on the edge of her bed as he gazed down at her. Curiously he reached out his hand and placed it on her head, eyes widening as the images in her head rushed into him.

Everything inside was an overwhelming mixture, chaotic and dark.

But the emotions that were the strongest at the moment were fear, guilt, sadness and an all-consuming missing...all aimed towards her cousin. Castiel had watched the girl, and hadn't truly thought that she missed her cousin all that much with the way she acted, but now that he probed her mental planes he realized that the girl was a very good actress who'd been hiding all her feelings incredibly well.

She missed her cousin _terribly_, felt horrible for putting the older girl through everything she had, and was terrified that the reason why Lois hadn't gotten into contact with her was because she hated her.

Castiel sighed as he gazed down at the softly crying girl.

That was far from the case; Lois loved and missed her cousin so much that she was nearly driving herself crazy.

He felt an odd feeling in his chest; it was an emotion he hadn't felt before. But it made him feel a little sick and unable to look at the girl in her face, pulling his hand from her head and leaving her innermost thoughts to her once more.

The angel stood, feeling very awkward and confused, wondering why he felt-was it _guilty_?

Confusion steadily growing, the angel quickly teleported away.

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Meg had never expected that she'd have so much fun playing a psychologist as much as she was. When her father had first given her this gig so that she could help him keep a close eye on the little Asset she'd been annoyed and a little resentful, but it was amazing how hearing how fucked up people were actually made her day. Now she went to work every single day with a large smile on her face, enjoying being able to supply people with medications they didn't need and just listen to them bitch about how bad their lives were-not realizing that by just telling her this they were making things worse for themselves.

She knew demons who liked to target people with their problems, and she always passed on information to her friends on mortals she figured they'd enjoy.

The only mortal she guarded and kept all for herself was the one sitting on her sofa early this morning.

"I feel, I don't know..." Chloe sighed as she hugged a cushion to her chest. "Things are just so screwed up in my parent department. First my mom's a psychotic bitch, then the man I love as a father seems to have lost all interest or love for me-and now my biological father, yet another psycho, is a free man."

Meg tilted her head, having been shocked at that turn of events as well. She didn't know who had been behind Viktor Dalakis' release, but it _definitely_ hadn't been _her_ side. "How does that make you feel?"

"Paranoid?" Chloe offered before letting out a little self-depreciating laugh as she ran her fingers through her hair. "First I find out that Dean's father will probably be dropping by Smallville unannounced any time in the future-."

Meg's eyes widened at that, quickly making a note on her notepad to warn everyone and for their ever-growing agents in the town to be on the lookout for Papa Winchester.

"-and then Viktor's released from his triple-life sentence in Arkham Asylum." The blonde hugged the cushion to her chest tighter. "I don't know who I'm more nervous about seeing again."

"So you think your biological father might try looking you up now that he's been released?" Meg made a note to warn her father's men of that as well, especially the sheriff's department.

"Maybe? I don't know." The teenager made a face. "He probably doesn't even remember me, he was _incredibly_ drugged when I met him that I wouldn't be surprised if he thought I was some hallucination or something...but the possibility of him coming here is still somewhat scary."

"Have you mentioned any of these thoughts or worries to Dean?" The demon wanted to know, curious.

The girl made a face. "No. But I know he already knows." Her lips curled in a sad little smile. "He always seems to just _know_."

Meg raised an eyebrow, wondering when this girl was going to realize she was in love with the guy-or when Deanie Boy would figure out his identical feelings for Chloe. The demon wondered when heaven would realize that that was what was screwing with their plans; wondered what would happen, what they'd do, once everyone finally discovered what she'd known all along.

"When I stop mindlessly worrying, and just sit down and think about it, I realize that Viktor doesn't even know where I live, so even if he wanted for some reason to meet with me, he wouldn't be able to do so." The blonde seemed more tranquil as she said that. "But with my past luck I just tend to assume the worse and have panic attacks and-."

"Have you had any panic attacks since the news of his release broke?" Meg was genuinely curious, as she always was with this girl. "How about your nightmares? Have they gotten worse? Because you've told me that they've been getting better recently since you returned from your little trip with Dean to visit his father."

"I had a couple of minor panic attacks, but they weren't the heart-pain ones, mostly just the ones where I find it hard to breathe." Chloe made a face at the memory. "But my nightmares...I just kept dreaming about the time I went to visit Viktor in Arkham and, well, all my dreams revolved around that." She palmed her face with a groan. "I'm obviously over-thinking and being paranoid and it's bleeding into my dreams as well. It's the same with mom and the other nightmares. It's because I'm unable to let go of the fear and paranoia that they continue to torment me like that."

Meg nodded silently, letting the girl continue, since she obviously had more to say.

"I've forgotten to respond to Wade." Chloe groaned, apparently just remembering this. "He's the one who texted me once the news broke. They'd mentioned mom's name and what she did, and he made the connection." She made a face. "He doesn't know that Dalakis is my biological father...but he said that Viktor Dalakis might want to get revenge on my mother for testifying against him...and so he was warning me and wanted me to come spend some time with him in Star City since it'd make me harder to find."

Meg eyed the girl. "And yet, despite the fact that you're having a little nervous breakdown, you haven't really considered taking him up on his offer, have you?"

"What? To go stay with him in Star City?" Chloe chuckled softly, shaking her head. "One, I didn't even really take the offer seriously. He was just being a nice guy."

A nice guy.

That criminal?

Meg barely kept from snorting in ridicule.

"And two, Dean's _here_." Chloe responded, as if this should be obvious. "As long as he's around, I really don't have anything to fear." She grinned brightly. "And anyway, even if I _did_ go to Star City Dean would just go right behind me and drag me back, all insulted that I would _dare_ think Wade could be a better protector than him."

Meg watched the way the girl's eyes twinkled, realizing that the girl was so much more normal now than she had ever been since the demon had known her. It shocked the demon to realize how that made her smile, genuinely.

The demon leaned hard against her chair in realization that she had a little bit of a soft spot for the girl.

Well, _damn_.

When had _that_ happened?

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Uriel was being forced to spend more time in this smelly plane than he'd ever thought he'd have to, and it made him a very unhappy camper. He didn't get why Azazel liked to hang around. The demons and the shape shifters and such the angel could get, because they were dirty, halfbreed creatures. But Azazel? The head demon was one of the fallen brethren, he'd once been an angel as well before so many years in hell had turned him into his current form. Still, all things considered, he _should_ have a little more _class_.

Grumpy, Uriel sipped a milkshake and watched as the Unfit One and the Asset had breakfast at one of the local diners. They'd just come from a session with the demon Azazel cared fatherly towards, the one called Meg, who had been placed as the Asset's mental health assessor. Apparently the Asset was slowly becoming more mentally stable, which was always a great thing, but it was the only good news they'd had concerning her in a while.

All in all, she was proving to be bothersome and uncooperative.

He couldn't understand why Azazel was so obviously soft on the human...then again, the demon had always shown preference for the Assets in the past, despite the fact that the few that had ever survived to be of age had all failed in their tasks.

The angel frowned, wondering whether Azazel had ulterior motives Uriel knew nothing about and that was why he was so calm during such a horrible crisis.

"I will _not_..." The Unfit One grumbled as he closed his mouth to the fork of pancake and something else the Asset held up before his face.

"Come _on_...you _need_ to try something different instead of always having the same thing here every time we have breakfast at this place!" The Asset grinned, leaning further over the table, not about to back down. "You're going to like this, I _swear_."

The Unfit One narrowed his eyes at her, obviously disbelieving as he shook his head firmly.

"_Pleeeeeaaaaassseeee_?" The Asset tried, giving him what was probably supposed to be a cute expression. "You'll make me late for school if you don't."

"How would-?" The Unfit One opened his mouth.

The Asset took advantage and shoved the fork in.

The Unfit One had no choice but to give in as she slipped the fork back out, the man chewing resentfully before his eyes widened and he swallowed. "That was actually really good."

"_See_?" She grinned. "Just _think _of all the great things you're missing out on because you won't just give them a chance?"

There was something in the way in which those two were staring at each other that made Uriel wary and alert, although he couldn't understand why. He'd never really paid attention to humans before, or given a crap about why they acted or reacted the way they did, and now he was annoyed that he had to and felt so ignorant.

There was something important passing between the Asset and the Unfit One now, something almost charged with electricity, but Uriel couldn't figure it out.

The Unfit One cleared his throat and finally broke their visual connection, spearing his own breakfast roughly as he began talking about something else.

The Asset sighed as she frowned, spearing her own food, mumbling her response to whatever he'd said.

The angel in the business suit watching them just didn't get what had happened.

His annoyance obviously grew as he finished his milkshake with a growl.

Damn humans and their damn complex mud-monkey-ness!

Teleporting away from Smallville, the angel appeared in the back of a car, invisible to the brunette staring silently out of the window, but from the glance in the mirror he could tell that their agent could see him and knew that he was there.

A muscle jumped in their agent's cheek before he cleared his throat, gaze going back to the road ahead of them as he reached over and placed his hand on the cousin's knee. "You feeling better now?"

She nodded, turning to give him a little smile before returning her attention out of the window.

The agent took in another breath before shaking his head and forcing his smile brighter. "So what do you want to do once we get to Vegas?"

"Doesn't matter to me." The cousin finally spoke, gaze still on the scenery outside the window. "You could go do whatever you want while I just walk around."

"You wouldn't be bored?" The agent was obviously trying to keep the dying conversation alive. "I wanted us to come here so that we could both have a good time."

The cousin sighed before forcing a larger smile on her face and turning to face him once more, placing her hand on his on her knee, giving it a little squeeze. "I'll be fine. I just have a bad headache. Once we arrive and check into the hotel I'll just take some aspirin and breathe in the Las Vegas air for a while. Don't worry about me. Just go and win us a fortune."

The agent's smile was a little more genuine as he chuckled. "You know I will."

"Just make sure they don't realize you can count cards." The cousin murmured as her gaze returned out of the window.

The agent's eyes widened in shock. "How did you know that I count cards?"

"We caught you, remember?" She pressed a hand to her forehead, as if she was getting a headache.

"We?" The agent tensed. "We who?"

The angel tensed as well.

As her new identity of Lois Lake the cousin had never played poker with the agent before...but as Lois La_ne_ she had...along with the Asset.

"I...I don't remember." The cousin shook her head, pressing her hand harder against her forehead, obviously in pain. "I really need an aspirin. This headache is _killing_ me."

The agent pressed down harder on the accelerator, his gaze going to the rearview mirror and connecting meaningfully with Uriel's before returning his attention to the road before him.

"She is beginning to remember." A voice next to the angel declared. "Even during her waking hours."

Uriel nearly jumped, finding Castiel sitting next to him in the backseat of the car. "How is this possible?"

"I am not sure as it should not be possible." His superior declared, gaze on the human female contemplatively. "But, if I were to make a guess, I would say it is because the connection and...love...between her and her cousin are too strong to break...even for us."

"That's _ridiculous_." Uriel sputtered.

"Humans are stronger than we give them credit for, especially when it comes to matters of the heart and emotions." Castiel murmured, seeming a bit uneasy yet very intrigued. "We cannot understand their emotions; it is why we cannot be certain of our ability to manipulate them."

"They are inferior in every way." Uriel grumbled. "We've been able to manipulate them _easily_ before."

"It would seem, at least concerning these two girls, that that is no longer the case. We should prepare for the inevitable." Castiel's gaze went to him before teleporting away.

Uriel pursed his lips, annoyed, before teleporting away as well.

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Azazel stood by the windows of his office, fingers parting the blinds far enough to watch as Deanie Boy dropped Chloe off to school in time for the bell to ring. The demon observed intently as the girl grabbed her bag and closed the door, hurrying over to the driver's side open window to continue whatever it was that they'd been talking about when he'd pulled up.

The girl leaned down to be able to talk to him face to face, their grins infectious as they conversed. She looked behind her at the students heading into the school building, and made a face before straightening up and turning, hurrying away with a wave over her shoulder.

Dean's smile melted from his face, obviously bothered by something.

Suddenly Chloe stopped, turning around and quickly returning to the car to stick the top half of her body in through the window and press a kiss to Dean's cheek before pulling back out and hurrying away.

Dean's smile slowly returned as he watched her go before clearing his throat and shaking his head, pulling out of the parking space.

Azazel watched this with a sly grin on his face.

Things were getting more and more interesting.

He loved his job.

There was a knock on the door and he turned towards it. "Come in."

His secretary stuck her head in. "Principal Kwan? Ms. Atkins is here to see you. She said you're expecting her?"

His grin grew slyer.

Damn, he _really_ loved his job!

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**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

Sequel to: Midas Touch

Chloe – 16

Dean – 23

Lois – 20

Adam – 24

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The first half of the morning had passed without much happening, Dean immersing himself in his job at the garage. He hadn't been working for very long in his books, but already he'd gotten a faithful clientele who trusted only him to work on their cars. They were customers who valued their vehicles as much as he did his, and it made him happy to know that there were others out there that didn't just take their modes of transport for granted.

Gave him some hope for humanity.

So yes, the first half of the day had been a normal, civilian's working day.

It was on his break when Bobby called him that things took a different turn.

"What's up?" Dean asked, leaning against the car he was currently working on. "You don't usually call me working hours; is something wrong? Have you found something on Lois?"

"No. Hold on," Bobby mumbled before passing the phone to someone else.

"How are you doing, Dean?" A familiar voice asked.

Dean straightened in surprise. "Pastor Jim?"

"Bobby told me that you've asked him to look into the Dalakis family, and his enquiries reached my ear so I came here to see him and find out more." Pastor Jim, one of John's few regular hunting partners, announced in his calm way. "I have to warn you, it's a very dangerous thing, digging into the Dalakis's skeleton-filled closet."

"So you know about them." Dean frowned, moving out of the garage itself out into the parking lot, ignoring those around him. "Tell me everything you do."

"The Dalakis are too dangerous for you to take on, especially if word is correct and you've given up hunting to live the civilian life." The pastor declared.

Dean bit back a retort and took in a deep breath. "I'm not planning on going on the offensive against them, but I'll be damned if I don't know all I can so I can at _least_ have an acceptable _defensive_."

There was a pause. "You believe the Dalakis family will target you?"

"Not me personally." But he was damned if he said anything else about it, especially not to a buddy of his father's.

Pastor Jim seemed to get that, and he sighed. "Dean, if the Dalakis family is after someone you know, then I'm afraid to tell you that there is very little you or anyone else could do to stop them."

"I doubt that." Dean sneered.

"You shouldn't." Pastor Jim replied evenly. "The Dalakis family date back to Babylonian times, their surname has changed every couple of centuries but they're a very powerful family who has a long history of rubbing elbows with the darker powers out there."

"Witches." Dean growled, his suspicions confirmed.

"Very powerful ones." Pastor Jim declared. "Most hunters don't even know about them, and those very few that do are smart enough not to mess with that family-having learnt from the example of those who _weren't_ smart enough."

"Let's just say I'm not smart enough and you stop beating around the bush." The younger hunter snarled.

Pastor Jim sighed. "You're just as hardheaded as your father."

"No disrespect, sir, but I'm _nothing_ like my father." And it surprised Dean more than anyone else for those words to not only escape his lips, but for him to mean it and _like_ it.

His father had allowed the hunt to consume him, and had pushed away his family and those who loved him, a shell filled with nothing but resentment, anger and hatred. John Winchester had made a saint out of Dean's mom, and a heaven of their marriage, despite the many times Dean could remember John having moved out on them during his marriage with Mary.

Then again...whenever Dean thought about someone or something hurting Chloe...and he realized just how similar he was to his father after all...because just the _thought_ of that blonde being hurt caused a dark fury to burst in his chest.

"Where are you now?" Pastor Jim sighed, resigned. "There are things that need to be said in person."

Dean didn't like the sound of that. "Metropolis." He had yet to decide whether he wanted to tell Chloe about his investigation into the paternal side of her family. "How soon can you get here?"

"I'll check the airlines and call you back." Pastor Jim sighed before hanging up.

Dean frowned, tapping the cell against his chin as he stared unseeingly in front of him.

Unbeknownst to the young and very troubled hunter, the angel Castiel watched from a distance with a frown of confusion and wariness on his face before teleporting away.

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If angels could have aneurisms, Uriel was due one any day now.

Castiel was getting _far_ too interested for the good of this mission...and the sake of Uriel's secret two-sided dealings.

His superior was actually visiting Smallville, and Uriel knew that if this kept up the angel would realize that demons had taken over a large amount of the populace, with other halfbreed creatures such as the shapeshifter army of Azazel's taking over vital positions in the community. Once Castiel figured this out things would quickly head downhill fast, as if that wasn't happening already.

Sure, in this one issue heaven and hell were in accordance, the Asset had to die at the appointed time and place, and at the hands of the Michael's Sword, but Uriel doubted that heaven would much appreciate the fact that hell was basically surrounding the Asset.

Just look at the damned school!

Uriel ignored the looks he was getting from the human students, instead paying attention to the many possessed ones he could see milling around. Those were wary of him, giving him a wide birth, even a few of the teachers had demons inside of them.

Obviously Azazel had enjoyed slowly taking over this town.

He'd infiltrated every aspect of the Asset's life, even her inner circle.

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When Ruby had been assigned the body of the girl whose claim to fame was her parents' death and a very bad childhood picture of her bawling on a magazine cover, well, the demon hadn't been all too happy. When she found out that her first real job since escaping hell was to secretly watch from afar and give info on some teenaged chick, well, that happiness had plummeted even further. It wasn't until Ruby realized that this was an Asset that she figured she hadn't been given the shittiest job ever-even if she _did_ have to go to high school.

At first it hadn't been so bad because she'd had Brady in the jock's body to mock the humans with, but then he'd been shipped off to keep an eye on Sam Winchester and she'd been left alone in the wave of humans. It was only when she realized that the hulking giant, yet utterly awkward and clumsy, friend of Chloe's was interested in her host that Ruby found a way of not only making life more interesting, but wiggling her way into the Asset's inner circle.

"Shut up." Chloe laughed, shaking her head at the teasing statement Pete had made. "We are _not_ married...if we _were_ you'd remember because you'd be the one walking me down the aisle."

Pete's eyes widened in shock and then he grinned brightly, reaching out to hug the girl. "My daughter!"

"Oh shut up!" Chloe laughed, though she didn't fight out of his embrace, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I feel left out." Clark rested his cheek against Ruby's arm, his arms around her waist tightening as she sat on his lap. "Why wasn't I even considered for the whole giving away the bride part?"

"You can be her Maid of Honor." Ruby teased her boyfriend, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. It was ridiculous how easy it was getting for her to show affection to this boy, but for now she pushed away those worries and doubts as she just blamed it all on her being a good actress and awesome spy.

"Burn!" Trevor burst out laughing.

"_Lana_!" Clark whined, although there was amusement in his voice as the others laughed at him. He hid his face in her back. "Those three are always ganging up on me...you're supposed to be on _my_ side!"

"My poor baby." Ruby laughed, turning on his lap so that she could hug him close.

Clark, face basically in her host's bosom, blushed scarlet.

Ruby turned to the other two and winked.

Chloe's, Trevor's and Pete's eyes widened before they shared a look and burst out laughing.

"Getting back to the original conversation!" Clark flailed desperately to get the attention off of him once more, gaze going to Chloe as his grip tightened around Ruby. "When are you two going to stop pretending that there's nothing going on between you and come clean? At least to us?"

"Yeah." Trevor, who was just as newly added to the group as Ruby, leaned forwards. "I mean, the whole _town_ basically realizes what's going on. So why not just come out already? You're of age anyway so what can people say other than: '_Scandalous!' _?"

Chloe hugged herself. "Why won't you guys believe me when I say that _nothing_ has happened between us? We're platonic roommates. The closest thing to a kiss between us is when I kiss him on his cheek. And I'm the only one who does that, he's not the type to openly display any sort of emotion...even if he _were_ attracted to me...which he's _not_." She hugged herself. "It's not like I'm Lois or someone like her who attracts guys like crazy."

Pete eyed her before sighing, resting his arm around her shoulders and giving her a shoulder a squeeze. "Sorry Chloster, we didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

She gave a little sad smile before subtly slipping out from Pete's touch with the excuse that she needed to stretch, her back hurting her from having been sitting in that position for a while.

Ruby had noticed the blonde's need for space, and even though she did her best to tolerate the boys' touches Chloe always pulled away after a little while. The guys seemed to notice yet didn't mind, understanding her many little quirks and not taking any of her actions personally.

Clark sighed, leaning the side of his head against Ruby's arm, obviously uncomfortable now that it was obvious that Chloe felt uneasy with the conversation.

Trevor rubbed his arm, waiting for one of her two best friends to make the situation right.

Pete, as always, seemed to know how to deal with Chloe and her moods the best. He just patted down next to him on the table top once more.

Chloe's lips twitched as she sat down next to him once more.

Trevor seemed much less uneasy now as he finally spoke. "So, am I really going to be the bravest one? Seriously? No one else has to guts to approach her about this?"

Clark groaned, hiding his face in Ruby's arm.

Pete rolled his eyes. "You are so impatient."

"What are you guys talking about?" Ruby asked curiously, sharing a look with the blonde.

"Yeah..." Chloe nodded, eyebrow raised. "Why do I feel like the girls are being left out of something important?"

Trevor looked at both Pete and Clark before rolling his eyes and letting out a little growl before turning to Chloe and standing before bowing at his waist.

Chloe's eyes widened.

Pete palmed his face.

Clark groaned.

Ruby grinned brightly, amused.

If Trevor was begging, then this would be good!

"The whole football team are begging for you to use your devious and dark powers to get Coach Worms sacked." Trevor kept himself bent over, back rigid. "We can't stand him or his incompetence anymore. So Clark, Pete and I have been begged to approach you and plead with you to do this for the team."

"Why should she?" Ruby quite liked playing the devil's advocate. "What would she get out of it?"

"Other than the happiness of her best friends?" Clark wanted to know.

"Darling, I love you, and Chloe does, I'm sure," Ruby caressed his cheek. "But if the girl's going to basically _blackmail_ the _principal_ into sacking a faculty member, she's got to be getting more out of this deal than _your_ happiness."

Chloe eyed her in surprise before smiling brightly at her.

Ruby froze for a moment, never having received such an accepting smile from the other girl before, having felt that she was merely being tolerated because of Clark's love for her host.

The blonde continued smiling at Ruby before turning her greens on the guys. "Has the team ever considered manning up and mounting a formal complaint to Principal Kwan?"

The boys groaned.

Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'll write up an official letter of complaint if you like, then the whole team can sign it, along with the cheerleader team and maybe other students. If we get enough complaints then I can take it to the principal and he'll have to look it over."

"It'd be so much easier if we just _blackmailed_ him." Trevor complained with a whine as he sat down.

Chloe turned her gaze to Ruby as she rolled her eyes. "Men; they're always after the quick and easy."

Smiling slowly, the demon nodded her agreement. "Damn straight."

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"You've got a new customer who's asking for you personally." One of his co-workers announced, giving him an envious look.

Raising an eyebrow at that, Dean grabbed a towel to wipe the oil off of his hands as he headed in the direction indicated, pausing for a moment when he emerged to find Desiree Atkins leaning provocatively against a sleek convertible. He shook his head before smirking at her as he approached. "Car trouble?"

She grinned right back, her expression tempting as she nibbled on the leg of her shades. "I need help getting my engine revved."

"I doubt that, lady." He flirted instinctively, used to dealing with women like this and just automatically acting this way. "Why don't you drive it over there and let me have a look under the hood?"

"Any time you want." She purred, slipping into her car.

Dean cleared his throat, going towards the checkpoint, waiting for her to arrive and park to begin the inspection. He ignored her as he opened up the hood and checked everything within, unable to find anything wrong with this car. In fact, everything seemed brand new, as if she'd driven it from the car dealer's place to here.

Shaking his head, Dean straightened and put down the hood, turning to find the woman standing there. "I don't-."

Desiree Atkins flung herself at him, pressing her mouth to his closed one as she kissed the shocked mechanic, her lips moving against his.

The hunter froze in surprise before reaching for her arms, ready to tear her off of him, before suddenly he seemed to inhale something that left him groggy and confused, and wanting more.

Pulling the woman closer instead of pushing her away, Dean deepened the kiss.

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Lois walked aimlessly around the city of sin, feeling very much in a daze as she moved amongst the crowds. People handed out flyers to some entertainment or the other, and others brushed passed, laughing, enjoying their time. Everyone seemed to know where they were going or what they were going to do and were hurrying to get there. The brunette was probably the only one in the multitude just walking aimlessly, unsure of what she was doing or where she was going.

Her head was killing her and she felt as if she was walking through a fog in the middle of a marshland, in which one misstep would send her spiraling to perdition.

The flashes of lights from cameras helped in her disorientation and Lois found herself gravitating away from the bright lights and into the darker streets. She didn't think about safety or any such thing, all she wanted to do was find a way out of this fog, away from this pain in her head.

Was she going insane?

Was that what was happening to her?

More and more often she was finding herself unable to distinguish between what was a memory and what was a dream or nightmare. Adam was already beginning to suspect something was up with her, and she knew it was only time before their friends discovered the same.

What was she going to do?

Should she see about getting some professional help?

"Goddamn it!"

The curse caught her off-guard and Lois turned towards the dark alleyway, seeing two figures fighting each other. Dark hazels narrowed as she found herself hurrying deeper into the alleyway, towards the fighting instead of away, as would have been the smart thing to do in this sort of circumstance.

It was only when she was close enough that she saw that the one overpowering the other was deformed, its mouth elongated to the point where its jaw _had_ to be dislocated, and its teeth pointy like some sort of monster's.

"Hey!"

The two males turned to look towards her.

The brunette round-kicked the monster off of the man, sending it flying into the other wall of the alleyway.

In a flash the man picked up a discarded object and raced at the creature, stabbing it through its neck, causing it to screech an unholy sound.

And then, the thing disintegrated in front of Lois' very eyes.

The brunette stood there, eyes wide, unable to believe what she'd just seen.

"Thanks for that." The man grunted, leaning with his hands on his knees as he panted for breath. "I didn't realize it was a couple hunting and not just a solitary one—_great_ kick by the way." He straightened up and grinned at her. "Long time no see. How's the kid doing?"

The brunette turned towards him in confusion, wondering why he seemed so familiar. "Huh?"

"You _are_ Lois, right?" The guy asked, and when she slowly nodded he grinned, assured once more. "You probably don't remember me, but we met after the whole Hope incident. I was hunting with John when he got the call from Dean about everything that was going on there in Hope. I'm Caleb." He held out his hand.

Lois' eyes widened, images of the hunter flooding her mind.

It must have been an overload for Lois' already agonized head, because her eyes rolled in the back of her head, and everything went black.

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**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

Sequel to: Midas Touch

Chloe – 16

Dean – 23

Lois – 20

Adam – 24

Chapter 6/7

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Dean hadn't come to pick her up after school.

It wasn't that he always came to pick her up or anything, but he preferred to, and when he didn't he always texted Pete or Clark or Trevor (or all three) and asked one of them to either drop her off or keep an eye on her until he arrived. So the fact that that hadn't happened, and he wasn't there, well, it sent the blonde into a mini little nervous breakdown. She'd taken the bus to his workplace but Eddie had told her that Dean had ditched the joint with "some hot broad" a couple of hours previously...and Chloe's worry had turned into...well...

The blonde didn't know why she was reacting this way, felt _so stupid_ for what she _knew_ was both jealousy and hurt. Dean had never done anything other than humor her crush on him, which was probably so painfully obvious to him considering how worldly he was in the way of women. He'd probably felt bad for her, which was why he'd never dated anyone before now-or at least let her know.

Oh god.

She felt so pathetic and pitiful!

The blonde stayed away from her home as long as she could, for the first time afraid and uneager to go to her haven, scared that she'd find them there. She didn't know how she was going to face seeing Dean with some woman. If it was Lois it would be hard yet she could accept it-but this was some stranger, and the thought left the blonde with a bitter taste in her mouth.

It was probably best that she'd hesitated for a while, because by the time she arrived at her apartment she only had a second to hide before Dean emerged from the place with...Ms. Atkins...the two kissing and laughing and obviously having thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They didn't notice her in her hiding place as they got into what was obviously Ms. Atkins' car and drove away.

Where exactly was the Pala?

Chloe couldn't believe Dean would just leave it somewhere.

Then again, she was learning that she really didn't know him as well as she'd though she did.

Running her hand over her face, ordering herself not to cry, Chloe entered the building and got into the elevator, riding up to the penthouse in silence. She got out and used her keys to get in, feeling cold and disgusted, sick, wondering if they'd slept together. She couldn't stomach the thought.

Shaking her head, Chloe forced herself towards the phone when it rang, lifting it to her ear.

"Where are you Dean?" An unfamiliar voice snapped. "You're the one who wanted me in Metropolis as soon as possible and then you ignore my phone calls? If you really don't want to know about the Dalakis then don't waste my-."

"Who the hell is this?" Chloe asked, narrowing her eyes. "And why did Dean call you about the Dalakis family?"

There was a pause, and then a man cleared his throat. "This must be the young lady Dean is currently living with."

"And you must be a hunter." She declared, her hurt turning into anger. How _dare_ Dean involve another hunter, one she didn't even know, in her family business!

"Jim Murphy." He sounded very much awkward.

"Jim Murphy..." She went through the list of names Dean had mentioned before her eyes widened. "_Pastor_ Jim?"

"Yes." He sounded a little more comfortable for some reason.

"Well, Dean's _busy_ at this moment." She reached for a notepad and pen. "Where exactly in Metropolis are you? I'll come to you."

"I don't mean to be rude, miss, but my business is with Dean."

"Listen here Pastor Jim, if your business has to do with the Dalakis family, then your business is with _me_, not _him_." She closed her eyes, knowing her voice was betraying her mounting frustration. "I've been having a _shitty_ day and believe me, man of god or not, you do _not_ want to be the reason I blow my top today."

There was a little pause, and then he cleared his throat and gave her the address of a motel, and also his cellular number.

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Castiel watched as Lois Lane slept very restlessly on the bed of the hunter Caleb. The man had brought her back after the strain to the walls in her mind caused her to faint, and the hunter was currently calling John Winchester to let him know about what was going on.

The angel knew that it was only a matter of time before all the work they'd done crumbled to the ground unless they strengthened the wall in her mind (which he was presently doing), but he honestly wasn't sure if it would even keep though he did so. It might hold back the memories for a couple of days more, but the angel couldn't see a way to maintain the wall up permanently.

Not anymore.

Lois Lane was slowly re-emerging.

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"Finally, you are acting the way I would expect you to." Uriel declared, sitting in a chair in the Principal's Office, the two of them having stayed behind after school to discuss matters and how Castiel's involvement might change things.

"I hate to be predictable, so that is unnerving." Azazel declared in his easy manner, hands clasped over the desk, looking every bit the high school principal he wore. "And yet, I cannot see what I could be doing that you would have expected of me."

"Sending the human with the near succubi powers after the Michael's Sword to draw him away from the Asset and send them back to his home with her so that the Asset would no doubt catch them in the act." Uriel raised an eyebrow. "It was a wonderful plot to separate them once and for all, and hopefully get this show back on the road. If the Michael's Sword is under this pheromone-emitting woman's spell, she could just order him to kill the Asset for us and he would do it without batting an eye." The angel smiled for the first time in far too long. "Finally, the pieces are falling into place."

There was an odd twinkle in Azazel's eyes as he slowly smiled.

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Dean felt like he was in the middle of a dream in which he couldn't really think but was acting on command. It was almost like he was stuck in molasses, and his reactions were slowed, his thought processes impaired. The only thing he knew was that he was supposed to worship the sexy brunette on his arm, but there was something in the back of his head that was fighting the impulse viciously.

They'd been in his home and while there'd been hard and heavy petting and groping, every single time she'd tried to remove clothes and go further something had kept him from being able to do it.

Even now, as he drove in her car towards her apartment 'to see if the mood got better', there was something inside of him snarling and growling and there was a woman's voice snapping at him.

"Here we are." Desiree, the woman he so desired, parked the car and grinned at him. "Let's go upstairs."

Dean brought a hand to his head, flinching at the pain, at the annoyed voice that called him an asshole and a fool and promised she'd never forgive him if he did this. He knew he knew the voice, but he couldn't recognize the source, couldn't put a face to it.

He knew that her name began with a C though.

He was sure of it.

A flash of blonde and green and a gorgeous smile crossed his vision too quickly for him to make out anything other than the colors and smile and feeling of awe.

"Baby?" Desiree's hand pressed down on his knee and slowly made its way up his thigh.

Cordelia?

Casey?

Cora?

Cory?

C...

C...

Ch...

What was it?

He knew, somehow, that if he could just remember...

"What's wrong?" Desiree's hand continued its upwards journey, her gaze on him, narrowed.

Chl...

"Are you..._fighting_...me?" Desiree whispered in shock, and not a little amount of insult.

Chloe.

_Chloe_!

The image of the girl in bed at Bobby's, smiling up beautifully at him with her tousled hair and twinkling eyes, was no longer vague colors and feelings, but full force.

The molasses, the fog, the inebriation and slowness-everything shattered, and Dean grabbed Desiree's hand, stopping its journey as he turned to her with narrowed eyes. "I don't usually hurt women, but I'm _this_ close to fucking punching you."

Desiree's eyes widened in horror. "How-?"

Dean tightened his grip on her wrist painfully. "What the _fuck_ did you do to me?"

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What was it with hunters and seedy motels?

Shaking her head, Chloe shook her head as she headed towards the number Pastor Jim had given her. She'd taken the bus from Smallville to Metropolis, and then another local bus to the bus stop closest to this motel, walking the last three blocks until she found it. Even now she gazed at her palm, where she'd written the hotel name and room number, making sure she had the right one before knocking on the door.

There was a shuffling inside and then the door opened enough for the man to peek outside and call out: "_Christo_!"

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Am I going to get a face full of holy water next?"

His lips twitched as he closed the door and undid the chain before opening it wide, letting her inside. "You can never be too careful...especially when you're in my line of work."

"I can imagine." She nodded, looking around the terribly run down motel, hoping her distaste didn't show as she turned towards him. "So Dean called you about the Dalakis family, huh?"

"No, he talked to Bobby Singer about it and I learnt about it from him." Pastor Jim responded as he motioned for them to go sit at the small table in the corner of the room. "As I told Dean earlier this morning, it's foolish to go snooping around the Dalakis family. They're powerful witches who have dealt with the darkest arts and whose lineage dates back to pre-Christian era."

"Considering that Christianity is probably the youngest religion out there, it really isn't that fascinating." Chloe shrugged, sitting down, turning to face him, refusing to be in awe of that family. "So they really _are_ witches, huh?"

Pastor Jim nodded. "And they won't like the fact that they're being researched, especially by a hunter."

"Noted." She nodded, leaning forwards against the table. "So, what do you know?"

He sighed. "You are just as hardheaded as Dean I see. This person you two feel needs to be protected must be very important to you both."

Chloe froze at that. "_Huh_?"

"Dean wouldn't tell me anything about why he wanted to know, except I could read in between the lines that he believes the Dalakis are after someone he knows, and it's not just any civilian-he cares deeply for whoever it is." Pastor Jim eyed her curiously. "The boy sounded quite _fierce_ in his desire to protect this person."

Chloe's throat went dry, her heart racing in her chest, butterflies in her stomach. "He did?" She then shook her head, forcing herself to remember seeing Dean and _that slut_ emerging from _her_ home, hardening herself once more as she raised an eyebrow at the hunter. "Well, it's what he's been taught to do. Protect civilians." She raised her eyebrow as she stared at the graying man. "Tell me something Pastor Jim..."

"Yes?" He tilted his head to the side.

"If this Dalakis family as a whole is as scary as you say it is, then how is it that _you_ supposedly know so much?"

The man hesitated, looking away.

"Because he's _family_...although very distantly related. His blood's become polluted to the point where most Dalakis wouldn't acknowledge him as one of their own." Another voice declared from behind her.

Chloe's eyes widened as she turned in her seat and stood, shock, fear and confusion filling her. "_You_."

Viktor Dalakis emerged from the bathroom, looking _nothing_ like the fanatically religious born again loony she'd met so very long ago. "Hello Chloe."

The blonde was terrified, horrified, but that wasn't the emotion strongest within her as she turned and lunged at Pastor Jim, slamming her fists into him viciously. "You set Dean up! He trusted you and you were going to let him walk in here and get him tortured and murdered by this psychotic monster!" She struggled against Pastor Jim's hold as he grabbed her arms to stay the blows. "_You fucking bastard_!"

A hand came down on her shoulder. "Psychotic monster?" His grip on her tightened near painfully. "You hurt my feelings."

The girl froze, not because of a spell, not because of the pressure of his fingers on her skin, but out of pure and unadulterated fear.

Jim Murphy must have realized that the fight was gone from her because he let go, and silently moved towards the door, standing in front of it, blocking her path to safety.

Eyes closed tightly, Chloe gulped before slowly turning to face the man who'd brutalized her mother to the degree that the woman had gone utterly, psychotically insane. This man had most probably come to Metropolis kill Dean and silence his enquiries on the Dalakis family.

This was the man she was trapped in a room with...with no one knowing where she was or with whom.

She was screwed.

They might never find her body.

The blonde gulped and raised her chin as she stared up into his eyes.

If this was how she died, she wasn't going to go begging.

She just wished she'd been able to say goodbye to Lois and Dean.

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**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

Sequel to: Midas Touch

Chloe – 16

Dean – 23

Lois – 20

Adam – 24

**A/N: If there are more muistakes than usual in this update, SORRY! :( I was REALLY rushed!**

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Chloe wasn't answering her phone.

Dean was going to have a mini heart attack any second now.

It was against his policy to hit women, especially if they weren't demons or some sort of monster, and despite it all Desiree Atkins was just a human with super pheromones who was used to getting whoever she wanted. He really couldn't do more than what he had-which was tie her up somewhere with something stuffed in her mouth while he tried to figure out what to do with her. He couldn't just let her go, could he? She'd proven that she was all too happy to use her abilities against others, and the hunter in him couldn't just let her loose on the world.

And while he should be worrying more about what to do with her, Dean found himself more preoccupied with finding out where the hell Chloe was. He'd called Clark, Pete and Trevor, wondering if any of them knew where she was, but the boys couldn't give any account for her whereabouts after school ended some hours ago. And Dean had gone back home as well but hadn't found her there. There hadn't been any note left for him explaining her disappearance either-or a text.

And as stated before, Chloe wasn't answering her phone.

All in all, Dean was about to have a nervous breakdown.

He'd even called _Sammy_ for fuck's sake! But all he'd done was get his little brother and his girlfriend just as worried as him. He'd promised to call them if anything, and continued his search.

Having gone to where he'd left the 'Pala when Desiree had bewitched him with her powers of slutdom, Dean drove all around Smallville, stopping to ask the people he knew if they'd seen the girl. They hadn't, and the fact that he was searching for her made them all worried, every single person he'd talked to promising to call him if they saw her or if they found out anything.

This was the first time Dean had realized the benefits of being a part of a community, and he couldn't help but feel utterly grateful for the extra help.

Talking about extra help, he'd finally given in and checked the messages left by Pastor Jim earlier. The man had arrived in Metropolis and was waiting for him, had put down the address of his motel. If this was something supernatural that had used Desiree as a distraction so it could snatch Chloe away from Dean, the young hunter was going to need all the help he could get.

Pressing down on the accelerator, Dean narrowed his eyes and drove like hell towards Metropolis.

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Licking her lips, Chloe kept her back to a wall at all times, refusing to be even more vulnerable as she stared up at Viktor Dalakis.

If she hadn't realized who he was, hadn't known the evil that hid behind those eyes of his-had the girl just seen a picture of him-she would have found him incredibly handsome. His face betrayed great genes and impeccable attention to personal grooming, his hair was cheek-length dark silk contrasting against his pale skin. He looked nothing like the man she'd met so long ago, who'd been so filled with meds, so un-kept, so unthreatening.

"You look so much like her," Viktor whispered, reaching up to caress her cheek with the back of his hand in near awe. "I must admit that when I first saw you that day I thought it was a hallucination brought on by the intense sedatives and other cocktails of drugs they had me on. But yet here I am, completely clean, and here you are, her mirror image." His lips formed a sneer as he grabbed her chin and raised it higher. "Except your eyes...those are someone else's entirely." His grip on her chin tightened in disapproval. "Light colored eyes must be from _her_ side of the family."

"I'm assuming this "she" I supposedly look like is the same person Hannah was talking about when I met her." Chloe kept her gaze on his, clenching her trembling fists at her sides. "_Maddie_."

His grip on her loosened at the name. "Yes. Madelyn." He caressed her chin softly. "The resemblance is uncanny-then again, she _was_ the other half of me and you _are_ my only offspring."

"Your other half?" Chloe frowned in confusion, wanting to jerk out of his touch but unsure if that would set him off into one of his torture-y psychotic episodes.

"Madelyn Dalakis, the only person I was ever able to truly love, my twin sister." He tilted his head as he continued to eye her thoughtfully. "You have her lips. They are exactly the same. The arch, the color, the texture..." he rubbed his thumb over her lips.

On instinct Chloe pulled away, backing up, freaked out beyond belief as she began to wonder exactly in _what way_ he'd loved his sister.

He chuckled softly, amused with her. "She looked like that too, when deeply disturbed."

"Did you disturb _her_ deeply _too_?" Chloe figured that probably wasn't the smartest thing to say, but it'd come out before she could bite it back down.

His eyes flashed with fury but he managed to suppress it and smile.

The smile scared her more than his anger would have.

"I have heard from my mother that you refuse to leave the Unfit One and join us at our side as you should as a Dalakis." He eyed her curiously. "When I _also_ discovered that this same Unfit One was searching for information on our family, I grew curious to meet him as well and see why my mother would let him live and not just skewer him and take you to your rightful place."

Chloe gulped, fighting the urge to back away. "Unfit One?" She made a face. "There's nothing _unfit_ about Dean."

Viktor's eyebrow raised. "On the contrary, he has made himself _unfit_ to kill you."

Chloe's eyes widened in shock. "He _has_?"

"It's...curious." Viktor replied with a nod. "During the few other incarnations of Assets that have graced this earth, never has the plan been ruined because of the _Sword_ rendering himself unable to do what he'd been born to do. Usually it's the Asset's untimely death that ruins everything."

"The Sword?" Chloe frowned as she came closer to him on instinct, needing to know more. "That's Dean's title?"

"Amongst others." He nodded. "He is the weapon who is to shed the Asset's blood."

"_Why_?" Chloe came closer even in her need to know more about why all this was happening to her. "_Why_ is he supposed to kill me? It doesn't make sense!" She pulled a strand of blonde hair out of her face and behind her ear. "If the last Asset was his mother-did that mean that he was supposed to kill his own _mother_? Or was the Sword someone else? And if so, why was Dean suddenly chosen to be the Sword?"

"Dean Winchester has always been the Sword, just like his brother is the Blade."

Chloe froze in horror. "_Sam_? SAM is mixed up in this as _well_?"

"There is much you do not know." Viktor declared seriously, gaze on her. "There are forces at work beyond your understanding." He reached out and ran the back of his fingers down the curve of her neck. "They will not stop until your blood has been shed, and the Sword and the Blade clash in a bloody battle until a sole victor is finally named once and for all in their petty little war."

All color drained from her face as Chloe finally realized what the hell the endgame was.

For some reason Dean was supposed to kill her, and then he and Sam would engage in some sort of death match in which only one would come out alive.

But _why_?

WHY?

What (and who) would gain from something like this?

And if Dean had made himself 'unfit' to be the Sword..._who_ had been chosen as the new weapon of choice in this disturbing game?

"I see the severity of the situation is dawning on you." Viktor rubbed his thumb against the rapidly beating pulse in her neck. "Maybe now that you realize yours is not the only life at peril-you will understand the need for you to leave the Winchesters and enter the embrace of the Dalakis." His eyes bore into hers. "Their plans have been ruined before, and if you obey me you can spare the lives of those you love. I can ruin you as Asset, and they will have no choice but wait for the next to be born to play their game once more and try for victory."

Chloe gulped as she stared up into his face, trembling in fear, both of him, and of the picture he'd painted.

"Enter into the embrace of your blood." His voice was almost a spell that weaved around her, making her confused and susceptible.

Chloe's lips parted.

Suddenly a series of loud bangs echoed against the door. "Jim! It's me Dean! Open up!"

Whatever spell had been weaving around her broke, and Chloe gasped, turning her head towards the door, even more terrified now than before.

"Is that the Unfit One?" Viktor mused, raising an eyebrow as he made a step towards the door. "It's time I...met...him I suppose."

A growl escaped Chloe's lips as she moved in front of him, blocking his path to Dean. "Don't you _touch_ him."

"I see." Viktor murmured as he eyed her. "You are in love with the non-blood."

Chloe's eyes widened slightly but she didn't move from between Dean and Viktor. "If you were any sort of father, you'd let me out of that door, would let me leave with him."

"If I were any sort of Dalakis, I would kill him without blinking, and take you back to where you belong." He countered.

She raised her chin in defiance.

He smirked. "You _do_ have some of me in you."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion.

"A day." He took a step backwards. "I'll give you and the boy a _day_, before I begin a chase."

"A day's not much." And yet she was already backing towards the door.

"That's more than any other Dalakis would give you." He replied, giving her a little wave. "See you later."

Turning around, Chloe raced to the door, which Pastor Jim yanked open for her in time for the blonde to come face to face with a shocked Dean.

"_Chloe_?" Dean's eyes widened in shock.

The blonde grabbed his arm and yanked him before her as she raced towards where she could see the 'Pala. "We need to get as far away from here as possible! NOW!"

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"What do you _mean_ you've lost the cousin?" Uriel snapped, his wings flashing behind him in his fury.

"She's just disappeared!" The agent exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "She said that she was going to go for a walk to help with her head ache, and then she just disappeared! I got back to our room and it looks like she hasn't gotten back!"

"How could you be so _stupid_? So careless?" Uriel snarled at the human. "We didn't raise you from the dead so you could have fun and gamble! We brought you back so that you could do the job we had designed for you! Or do you _want_ to go back to the pit to be tortured endlessly by Alastair and his minions?"

"_No_." The agent shook his head, desperation reeking from his pores. "Please! Just give me another chance. I'll find her. I'll fix this."

"You better." Uriel growled his warning before teleporting away, his good mood destroyed.

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Azazel stood, eyeing the tied up, gagged woman with much amusement.

She saw it, and glared darkly at him, struggling harder against her binds.

Azazel's eyes flashed gold as he freed the woman. "A new kink you haven't shared with me?"

"I'd tell you to go to hell, but you've already been there." She snapped, standing up and shrugging off her binds viciously. "He fought off my pheromones! No one has _ever_ been able to do that! How the _hell_ did he do that?"

"What a surprising turn of events." The demon grinned as he went to the window.

Desiree's eyes widened as her mouth fell open. "Bullshit!" She stormed towards him, her high heels clicking loudly against the floor. "You _knew_ this would happen! You asshole!"

"I didn't _know_ anything would happen." He clasped his hands behind his back, still gazing out of the window.

"But you suspected it would." The brunette placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "You sent me in to seduce him because you thought he would resist me!"

"I thought he _might_." The demon corrected, finally turning to look at her.

"How?" She was more confused than pissed by now. "And _why_?"

The demon just smiled and gazed out of the window once more. "In your car you'll find more than enough money to start up somewhere else suitably comfortably."

She narrowed her eyes at him, pursing her lips at him thoughtfully. "You weren't trying to drive those two apart, _were_ you?"

"Drive safely." The demon turned towards her. "If I have further need of your...talents...I'll call for you."

He then teleported away.

"That fox." Desiree Atkins whispered, shaking her head, before grinning as she hurried towards the door, her car, and the money that was waiting for her.

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"I'm not leaving you!" Jess snapped as she glared at her frantic boyfriend.

"Did you not listen to that phone call?" Sam snapped right back at her, throwing her things into one of her bags. "There's something in the works involving dark powers who want to use me! That means I'm a _danger_ to you! If they think that you're holding me back from doing whatever they want me to do, they wouldn't think twice in killing you!"

"I don't _care_!" Jess cried as she gripped at the front of his shirt, looking up into his face, pleading. "I _love_ you Sam!"

"I love you too." Sam whispered, voice breaking as he cupped her face, staring deeply into her beloved face. "And that's why I have to make sure that you're okay."

"_Sam_..." Jess' voice broke with a sob.

"If anything happened to you I wouldn't _give a damn_ what they did to me or if I lived or died." Sam's voice was strained as he tried to make her understand what her life meant to him. "If you want to protect me, if you love me, you have to make sure _you_ are safe."

"I want to be with you." Jess cried, tears falling down her cheeks. "I want to stand by your side and be your strength. I don't want to run and hide when the going gets tough!"

He kissed her because, goddamn it, he didn't deserve this woman.

Jess must have sensed something in his kiss, because she broke down and kissed him hard while crying desperately.

Sam kissed her deeper, trying to remember her taste and the feel of her in his arms, because he didn't know when it'd be safe to see her again. He needed to meet with Chloe and Dean and they needed to figure out what was going on and how to stop it without involving her psychotic family—because there was no way that Sam or Dean would let Chloe go to them.

"You'll be safe." He whispered against Jess' lips. "Brady's waiting outside. He'll drive you to your parents'."

"I _love_ you." Jess whispered brokenheartedly against his lips.

"And I you." Sam bit back a sob. "_So much_."

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They drove in utter silence.

Dean hadn't gotten much out of the girl, only that Jim Murphy had set him up to walk into a trap for Viktor Dalakis, and everything that her biological father had told her about the Asset and his and his brother's involvement in this gladiator-esque battle they were supposed to fight in. He had a feeling she was keeping more from him, and it annoyed him to realize that there were secrets between them again.

No.

It didn't annoy him.

It fucking pissed him off!

He'd thought they'd gotten passed this shit!

Chloe leaned her forehead against the window, staring outside at the night-bathed landscape as they drove in silence.

"How about you let out whatever's got you so quiet?" Dean couldn't take the silence anymore, too used to her endless chatter.

She didn't seem to even hear him, her gaze steadily on the darkness in front of her.

A muscle jumped in his cheek, the hunter reaching out to place his hand on her shoulder.

She jumped, eyes widening as she turned to look at him, fear in her greens for a split second before she cleared her throat. "Sorry, were you saying something?"

He tightened his grip on her shoulder. "Why did you go to see Jim without telling me anything?"

"You were busy." Her expression fell and her gaze slid away once more. "And anyway, he had information on _my_ family. Why _shouldn't_ I have gone to see him?"

"Busy?" Dean asked in confusion before his eyes widened as suddenly he realized what she meant. "You saw us."

The girl leaned harder into her chair, gaze lowering to her hands.

Dean closed his eyes and let out a little growl, annoyed beyond _understanding_ with Desiree Atkins _and_ Chloe Sullivan. "She's a meteor freak."

"_What_?" Chloe's eyes widened as she turned to look at him in shock.

"Turns out Desiree Atkins really _does_ have some sort of _pheromone_ that she can use against anyone she wishes." Dean removed his hand from her, returning it to the steering wheel as he gazed at the road in front of them. "Apparently with most guys she can just stare them into obeying her, but with the more difficult ones she needs to _kiss_ them to infect them."

Chloe's eyes were wider than he'd ever seen them as she stared at him. "Oh."

"Oh?" He gripped the steering wheel tighter. "That's all you've got to say?"

"What do you expect me to say?" She cleared her throat, gaze going ahead of her as she licked her lips. "She's gorgeous, you're gorgeous...it really wasn't a stretch to believe that you two would hook up. It's not my place to get in the middle of any booty calls or relationships that you might develop."

She was right.

Everything she'd said was one hundred per cent correct.

It still pissed him off though.

"Why would I keep it a secret from you?"

She shrugged. "You're entitled to your privacy."

"Bullshit!" He snapped at her, refusing for her to do this, to start pulling away like she was so well known to do. "Since _when_ have you not asserted yourself and your position in my life? Just like night you told me I belonged to you! And now all of a sudden you're going on with this bullshit?" He sneered at her. "Stop pretending to be so damn meek because it doesn't suit you."

"What do you want me to say, Dean?" She snapped right back at him, and he had to admit that he was glad because at least now she was starting to communicate instead of holding everything inside of her like she instinctively did when she felt threatened. "You can screw whoever you want to!"

"I sincerely _doubt_ that _darling_." He sneered, tightening his grip on the steering wheel, accelerating.

"Oh yeah_ baby_?" She threw back at him. "What's stopping you?"

He gazed quickly up at the rearview mirror, ascertaining that they were on a deserted highway, before stepping on the breaks, sending them to a screeching stop.

"The _hell_?" Chloe snapped, grabbing hold around her.

"Why do we always fucking fight on road trips?" Dean hissed, shaking his head.

"How the hell should I know?" She grumbled, still holding onto the dashboard. "It just always works out that way."

Growling, Dean undid his seatbelt and slipped out of the seat and onto the road, slamming the door closed behind him in his frustration. He looked up at the starry sky, annoyed and frustrated, and not just with Chloe anymore. There was more than a healthy dose of his frustration aimed at himself.

The passenger's side door opened and slammed shut as the blonde spitfire stormed around the front of the car to continue with their argument. "You have no right to be pissed off at me about this!"

"Oh yeah?" He sneered at her, leaning hard against the 'Pala. "And how do you figure that?"

"I did _nothing_ wrong." She glared up at him, standing on her tiptoes to try and even their vision somewhat, failing drastically. "I gave you space, I let you enjoy what I thought was a booty call, _and_ I dealt with _your shit_." She poked him in the chest as she listed off. "If there's anyone out of the two of us who has a right to be pissed it's _me_!"

"Oh, that's a good one." He laughed darkly, glaring at her. "What could you _possibly_ have to be pissed about?"

"You went researching my family without telling me anything about what you were doing!" Chloe snapped, foregoing poking his chest to slap it. "And it nearly got you killed!"

"How was I supposed to know that Jim would set me up?" Dean snapped at her.

"That's not my point!" She growled at him. "Because of you snooping when you had no right, not only did you nearly get yourself killed, but my father now knows where I live!" Her voice shrieked with her fear. "And he seems just as hell-bent as my grandmother for me to 'join the embrace of my blood', AND SIX TIMES AS SCARY AND PSYCHOTIC AS HER!"

"You think I don't fucking know that?" He hissed at her.

"Why did you _do_ it?" She flung her hands out in frustration. "Why would you go behind my back like that and-?"

"Go behind your-?" He barked out harsh laughter. "What did you expect me to do? I had no other choice!"

"No other-?" Chloe's mouth fell open. "Bullshit!"

"The hell it is!" He leaned into her personal space, hissing and glaring and pointing down at _her_ this time. "Not only has your insane grandmother tried to take you away already, but now your psycho _father_ is free and has confirmed my suspicions that his agenda is the same when it comes to you!" He narrowed his light hazels at her. "Not only does the Dalakis family seem to be plagued with _insanity_, but they _also_ have a shitload of _power_ to back up their fucked up desires!"

"You think I don't know that?" Chloe snapped at him. "Believe me, bub, I _know_, and it _terrifies_ me."

"Yeah? Well guess what, you're not the only one it fucking frightens!" Dean flung his hands out in fury as he was forced to finally admit that. "They're psychotic and all-mighty and intent on both messing with you, and taking you away with them to god knows where to do god knows _what_ to!" He clenched his fists tightly at the millions of different horror scenarios his mind had concocted. "I don't know what you expected me to do, but if it was to sit on my ass and not do all in my power to have the knowledge I need to not only be prepared but _able_ to keep them from taking you away from me..." Dean looked away, letting that sentence fade away. "I _won't_ let them take you away from me."

Chloe looked up at him, eyes wide.

The hunter closed his eyes, tightening his clenched hands as he let out a little snarl before opening his eyes and narrowing them on the finally silent young woman in front of him. "I'm not fucking apologizing to you because it won't be the last time I do something you don't like or approve of if it means keeping you safe...and with _me_." His hands clenched to the degree that his nails dug into his palms painfully. "So if you've got a problem with that, then _tough luck_. Also? Screw. You."

Chloe stared up at him, tears sparkling and unshed in her eyes as her lips twitched in a little smile, obviously remembering a similar conversation not so long ago in which she'd told him something similar.

He felt uncomfortable in his own skin yet refused to pull away like his instincts to run away from any emotion screamed for. His light hazels fixed on her face, his lips pulled back in a grim line as he bit the inside of his cheek in nerves.

The petite blonde stared up at him in silence, so much emotion in her eyes, confliction obvious in her every feature. She licked her lips, gaze sliding away before returning to him as her lips parted as she drew in a jagged breath.

He ignored the pain in his palms, waiting for her response, be whatever it was.

Chloe closed her eyes, a tear making its way silently down the side of her face.

Hissing, Dean turned and made to return to the car.

Chloe's eyes flew open and her hand reached for his, fingers closing around his wrist and keeping him in place.

Once again, the memory of similar events flashed through Dean's mind as he hesitated only a second before turning to face her once more.

Chloe stared up into his face, into his eyes, almost seeming desperate to find something specific there.

Dean didn't know what she was searching for, but he stared back into her greens, hoping to god she found it.

The blonde slowly smiled at him as she stepped once, twice, and then was in his embrace, arms encircling his waist tightly and cheek rubbing caressingly against his chest.

Dean's eyes slid closed as his arms found their way around her and held her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her golden head.

She froze in his embrace and pulled away enough to tilt her head and look up at him, shock on her face as another silent tear made its way down her cheek.

He gulped, bringing his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb chasing away the tear.

Chloe loosened her grip on him and trailed her hands around him to his chest, clenching her hands in his shirt for a second before trailing those hands up his chest. She stepped up on her tiptoes as she reached upwards, encircling her arms around his neck as she pulled in closer, resting her cheek against his heart.

Dean leaned into her, tightening his embrace on her, keeping her anchored to him, feeling her heartbeat racing against his chest.

Her fingertips brushed his hair as she turned her head up to stare at him.

The hunter lowered his head to stare into her eyes.

Chloe's gaze lowered to his lips for a second before she eased him slowly downwards towards her.

Dean's eyes widened, realizing what was happening and unable to hide his shock, yet he didn't resist her, his eyes watching as hers fluttered closed seconds before their lips touched. The hunter had kissed before, but they'd been messy, lust-filled, sloppy movements that'd just been a means to an end. This...this was nothing like that.

Light hazels slid closed as their lips moved together slowly, deeply, the hunter's grip on the girl tightening as he tasted her for the first time. Something exploded in the back of his mind at the first taste, and Dean tilted his head to an angle which allowed him to kiss her deeper, although the speed never increased.

It was slow, it was tentative...it was unlike anything...

Approaching headlights hit them as someone honked before driving around the pair and speeding off, yelling curses behind at them.

Chloe slowly pulled away and leaned her cheek against Dean's rapidly beating heart, hers racing just as insanely fast against his chest as her arms encircled his waist once more.

Dean stared ahead of him into the dark, mind-blown and eyes wide, as suddenly a bone-shattering realization hit him.

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**And on that note...thus ends "Realizations".**


End file.
